For Her: Third Stage
by Rob Sears
Summary: The third installment in the For Her saga continues the story of Alec and Tali. It's been over twenty years since the Assault on the Citadel and in that time, humanity has only grown more restless. With Second Contact on the horizon, will the outcome be any different this time? Strong violence, sexual content, strong language.
1. Prologue: New Thorns

2048

Heels clicked as the footfalls echoed down the hall. The bright lights reflected off the shiny tile, momentarily blinding the turian as he stalked towards the elevator.

The door sliding open, he depressed the button for the top floor, the main chambers. He leaned his body against the guardrail near the window as the platform ascended. The turian glanced behind him as the familiar structures of the Citadel slowly descended in his wake. He had seen this view several times to the point where it was all completely routine for him.

The elevator may have been moving at over a hundred miles an hour, but it still took at least two minutes for it to reach the turian's destination. There was not even a broadcast going on at this time, the always reliable announcer had evidently run out of things to say.

He endured another minute of the maddening silence before he could feel the elevator start to decelerate. With the doors sliding open, the turian quickly walked out of his glass prison and hung a right, entering a sparsely decorated foyer.

He rounded the next corner to find that the boardroom was already sealed. The session must have started by now. Flanking the doors were a pair of geth security guards, red in color, ever vigilant as they remained upright in a perfect posture.

Upon his approach, one of the geth swiveled its head to gaze at the turian directly.

"Councilor," the geth gave a nod. "They have already started. You may enter."

If the turian ever appeared skeptical about integrating the geth so far into society, that had all been allayed several years ago. The geth, once feared throughout the galaxy as harbingers of death and destruction, were suddenly revealed to harbor none of those qualities twenty-one years ago. Thanks to a reconnaissance mission to the geth's main base, the quarians had found out that the race of machines only were interested in their own survival and did not wish to enact any harm on other beings.

In light of this new knowledge, the geth slowly began to assimilate themselves into galactic society, proving that they did not need to be feared at all by anyone. The geth, at this point, now applied themselves into a wealth of different fields that proved to be prosperous for civilization as a whole. They were tireless as construction workers, perfunctory and reliable. They were capable in business, able to compute multiple different problems at a time. But most of all, they were effective as soldiers, ever vigilant and incorporated several new technologies for the different armies stationed across worlds.

Situated in front of the doors, the turian gave the geth a nod of acknowledgement (surprising even himself with the move) and opened the doors.

Seated around a small table were a salarian, an asari, and a quarian. A hologram of what appeared to be a space-like object sat in the middle. The turian quickly moved over and took his seat before clearing his throat.

"I apologize for the delay, Councilors. I had a prior engagement."

The salarian councilor nodded, "Understandable. We had only just begun our discussion."

The turian councilor leaned forward, arms in front on the table, "I haven't been to an emergency meeting in a while. If I might ask, what is the situation for which we are gathered here right now?"

"This," the quarian councilor waved a hand, gesturing to the hologram. "This is why we're here."

The object in the hologram looked crude to the turian councilor. It was a bare-bones design, uncovered struts were protruding out of the object. It looked like it was covered in tin foil in the middle and a huge radio dish sat atop the whole contraption.

The turian councilor shrugged, "And what exactly is the significance of this?"

"This…satellite," began the quarian councilor. "Was brought to the station four hours ago. We intercepted it after it cleared its originating system and was detected."

The asari councilor now intervened, "When the ship that detected it brought in on board, we began receiving several strange transmissions from an unknown source on a microwave burst." The asari brought up her omni-tool and the hologram of the object disappeared, replaced by a bevy of new images.

There were waves on a beach, a field of grain flowing in a breeze, a shot of a city skyline. There were several noises that accompanied it as well, voices. The voices all spoke several different languages that failed to comprehend with the people in the room, despite their translator programs. There was a hint of music, a shout of laughter, and an assortment of weird and wondrous creatures that now filled the screen.

The video over, the asari councilor turned to face the turian, "The object we recovered was a beacon. By altering its original course, we alerted whoever sent it to transmit the message that they had prepared."

The turian councilor cocked his head, "Where did the signal originate from?"

"The Local Cluster," the salarian councilor answered. "The planet Earth."

The turian breathed out, his mandibles drooping, "Humans."

"Precisely."

The turian gazed across the room, "What…what does this mean?"

The quarian councilor shook her head, "Humanity is growing restless. We gave them their taste of the stars too early, they were not ready for such an event. Because of our untimely intervention, they have only grown more eager to expand their borders. The purpose of this meeting is to determine whether we believe that they are truly ready."

"Ready?" the turian councilor was confused. "Ready for…._spirits_, you can't be serious!"

"Our options are severely limited at this point," the quarian councilor shrugged. "Humans will only grow to the point where we cannot contain them. When that day comes, it would be prudent to have them as an ally, not as an enemy."

"But…but did you forget what they did all those years ago? How many people they killed?" The turian councilor now pointed towards the salarian, "They _killed_ one of your predecessors in cold blood! They would have murdered us as well! Not to mention the fact that humans were frequently killing _your_ people-," the turian now addressed the quarian councilor. "-In part of a pact to their deity prior to that whole affair."

"Despite the fact that it was a _human_ who saved us?" the quarian councilor admonished coolly. "And who was present for both events and saved several lives in the process?"

"One human cannot rectify the sins of many!"

"But he has proven himself to be pragmatic, resourceful, and loyal. If this is what one human can be like, don't you think that there could be others like him?"

"That is beside the point! I can't believe you're-"

"Enough," the asari councilor commanded. "Fighting over this point is irrelevant. We cannot ignore the humans any longer. We do not need them marching on our doorstep when we least expect them."

"What happened to placing a blockade on their system?" the turian snorted. "I thought that we had decided to do that to stop another massacre from occurring."

"It has been over twenty years," the asari councilor explained. "The humans have grown and will be able to match us technologically in this century, should they continue at their rate."

"Even more so if they miraculously find any prothean technology," the salarian councilor warned. "If that eventuality comes, then we could find humans mastering spaceflight within this decade."

"All the more reason for us to extend to them a formal offer. The humans are aware that they are not alone in this galaxy any more, they cannot pretend that they are the only ones."

"And if they attack again?" the turian councilor sighed. "What then?"

The quarian councilor entered, "I do not believe that they would risk the extermination of their entire race. Humans may have exhibited the qualities of primitivism and violence but they cannot argue blindly in the face of logic."

The turian councilor reclined back in his chair, caught up in indecision. He looked at the faces of his colleagues, it was clear that their minds were set. He weighed his options and knew that, even despite his misgivings, he really did have no choice in the matter. The Council needed to face this issue as soon as possible before it became a big problem.

"All right," he said. "How do you want to proceed?"

* * *

_Earth_

The rain fell in sheets on the landing platform, coating everything in a slick, wet layer. The blast from the helicopter's rotors didn't exactly help matters, as they blew an ongoing spray in all directions from the force of the rotations.

The CH-53K Super Stallion aircraft was implemented into the Marine Corps of the United State military forces in 2018. Built by Sikorsky, at its UTC plant, the Super Stallion was the most advanced helicopter in the world, capable of reaching new top speeds and lifting heavier loads for combat zones. It currently ran its engines, idling, as it sat atop the tall office building, waiting for its passengers.

From a doorway on the top, three figures emerged. Neither one carried an umbrella; they simply marched over to the waiting doors of the chopper and clambered in, shaking their arms to get rid of any excess fluid.

The pilot checked to see if his occupants were securely strapped in and gave the soldier in the gunnery position the "ok" signal. Both men signaled to the marshal outside, who twirled his left finger in the "dust off" motion. Pulling back the throttle, the Super Stallion gradually lifted off the building and into the cold, damp night.

One of the passengers, looking at his partners, checked to see if they were out of earshot before leaning across the aisle to speak, continuing a conversation they had paused prior to boarding the helicopter, "Team Encounter had a breakthrough the other night. Apparently one of its satellites was 'redirected.'"

One of the men snorted in a laugh, grey haired and balding, "I thought they had shelved Encounter in '04. Something like a 'waste of taxpayer dollars' was the reported line."

The original speaker resumed, "Congress brought it back up in '17, during First Contact when…'they' stopped by."

"Hmph. 'Quarians.' As if there weren't enough problems on this planet in the first place."

The third speaker sat in his original position, quietly looking out the window, observing the Washington D.C. skyline as the Super Stallion paved overhead. Reaching into his pocket, he fished out a cigarette and a lighter. Despite the nosedive the tobacco companies had taken in the last decade, the man still held an appreciation for the habit. Not bothering to ask if his colleagues minded, he flicked the silver lighter and a sudden burst flared and a sizzling sound was heard as the cigarette was lit. He exhaled slowly, trying to slow his thoughts as the other two continued to argue.

"That's precisely the point, though. The President enacted Encounter to search for more life once we knew that there were others out there."

"Even though Encounter yielded no viable results all the time it ran. The aliens came to us out of their own accord. The reports never mentioned that they knew about any interstellar signals that lead them here."

"Yet they somehow knew to come. But it's been over twenty years and…nothing. We haven't heard a single thing from any other alien since they just all up and left."

The grey haired man shrugged, "You think they had their reasons?"

"Must have. Otherwise they would never have left us with our dicks out. They never hid the fact that they were quite exposed to our culture."

"Media can be useful in some cases."

The third man now spoke, he had short hair, broad shoulders, and was spectacled. He was dressed in a sharp, expensive, but low-key suit. He had a low voice but enunciated clearly when he talked, "Get back on topic, gentlemen. Why exactly is the fact that one of our satellites was 'redirected' news?"

The first man leaned over, "Well, Mr. Speaker, in layman's terms it means that its original course was altered."

The spectacled man peered through a cloud of smoke, "So?"

"So…these probes don't just change course whenever they like. It was picked up and moved to another location."

"Why wasn't I informed of this?"

The grey haired man gulped, "The President gave the go-ahead for the Clean Slate-3 Probe to be launched in a small conference. It was off the public record and done in secrecy."

"Then how exactly are _you_ aware of it?"

"Anyone can access records of the launch and mission parameters, just not the circumstances in which they were founded."

The spectacled man nodded, "Why did we launch this probe then?"

The first man now joined, "I believe to contact other alien races so that we can approach the topic of coexisting peacefully."

There was a laugh, "'Coexisting?' That, my friends, is an impossibility." He leaned forward, "If you want my opinion, this whole cloak and dagger shit that the President is pulling with NASA is just ludicrous. We are already aware of these beings' existence and what they are capable of."

He took a drag on his cigarette, "I was present for the Danbury Incident, gentlemen. I can tell you, after witnessing the carnage, I do not believe that we can live peacefully with these aliens. Our world was not ready for them then, it certainly isn't ready for them now. The fact of the matter is, when humanity was given such an opportunity, we squashed it when we failed to appropriately take the proper precautions. As a result, dozens of humans and quarians were killed. For the next five years, any further alien contact was staggered, most likely an aftereffect until, like you said, everyone left."

A jolt in the interior of the helicopter sent the three men airborne for a second as it started to descend. A quick glance out the window told them that their destination was only seconds away. The spectacled man looked back to see the two men seated across from him.

"When was the President planning on notifying me?"

"If he's smart, then tonight," the grey haired man offered.

The man nodded in satisfaction, "If he ever gets the chance to pull this off, he's going to work much harder than his unfortunate predecessor at being diplomatic with aliens."

"Got any tips for him?"

"I have a few. After I speak my mind about the whole affair, of course," he wiped his glasses with a small cloth as the helicopter slowly and perfectly touched down in front of the big white colored house that filled the view out the window.

* * *

**For Her: Third Stage**

* * *

_**From Rob: Oh, dear. I'm at it again.**_

_**I know I have maintained that I was going to stop after the last one. Truth be told, I don't know where I'm going to end this saga anymore. I'm just going to continue to write this and see what new ideas pop up and if I can manipulate them into more stories.**_

_**Updates will probably be in more irregular intervals but it will get finished. Count on that.**_

_**This is going to be fun.**_


	2. Chapter 1: Familiar Faces

_Rannoch_

The shuttle glided above the unfamiliar ground. Below lay a sea of green, fields of grass lazily wafting in the wind, covering the brown soil. Up ahead lay several stone columns forged by nature and time, dominating the landscape.

Off to the left, past a tall cliff, was the ocean. It was a deep, dark blue. It washed over the rocks at the bottom, sending out an enormous roar each time. The orange sun reflected off of the waves, sending light into the shuttle, causing its passenger to squint.

To the right lay the quarian capital city, the place where the first quarian ships made landfall when they came back to their homeworld. For the first few months, they had not given the city a name, choosing to call it simply "the capital." However, shortly after the Assault on the Citadel, it was unanimously approved that the official name would be "Legion" in honor of a geth's selfless sacrifice for a quarian during the siege.

Currently, tens of thousands of quarians lived in the city of Legion and was growing at an exponential rate. The streets were flooded with quarian and geth alike, both finally coming to terms with one another after centuries of conflict.

The new alliance with the geth consensus enabled the quarians to further advance their society in ways they could never have imagined. Combining their talents, new avenues of technology were explored and brought to light. Shield technology, for both capital and personal use was modified and perfected. Cloaking technologies were also introduced as standard issue for quarian marines. And for the military use, plasma rifles were now being constructed as a more efficient use of ammunition.

The quarians themselves brought cohesion and direction to the geth as well. In the three hundred years that the geth had solely occupied Rannoch, they had been expanding their resources but without direct guidance from their Creators, they could not decide what they needed to develop. In the first year, quarian scientists had created firmware that updated a geth's processing abilities as well as added memory for more individuality. The result of their efforts caused the geth to advance to almost AI levels of thinking. Despite the inherent danger the quarians had feared, the geth had repeatedly reassured them that they harbored no ill will, merely gratitude at the "gifts" they were provided with.

Twenty years down the line and it appeared that Legion's wish had gone fulfilled. It was a good way to repay a debt.

The shuttle flitted in midair and the passenger concentrated on the destination up ahead. Skimming the ground and slowing to a halt, the door opened and the passenger extracted himself, giving the automated shuttle the "all-clear" from his omni-tool. Watching it drift upward, he started climbing the stone steps that led to the house.

He could hear talking, even from where he was. There was a nice smell in the air, something cooking? Lots of laughter, a hint of a splash. A pool, possibly. He reached the entrance of the house, where in big holographic letters on the front of the door read, "Door's unlocked. Come on in!"

He shrugged and waved a hand in front of the green interface. The door gave a chime and opened, enabling him to enter. He stepped inside, tugging at the sleeves of his shirt before he sighed in relief from the air conditioning that was providing respite from the hot day.

Garrus Vakarian squinted in the dimness, eyes adjusting from the brightness of the outside. Peering cautiously, he started to move forward past all of the people who were milling about in the front.

The house was _packed_. There were clumps of people of every shape and size. Asari, turian, salarian, quarian, Garrus gaped at the assortment.

_When they said "party," I didn't know they meant this many people._

Entering the kitchen, he suddenly spotted a food bar to the side. Taking the moment to acknowledge the rumbling of his stomach, Garrus moved over and quickly began to pile some morsels labeled "dextro" onto a plate, being very liberal with anything that featured meat. He popped what appeared to be a Palaven crab on top of a cracker in his mouth, munching noisily, tasting the sweet meat and the saltiness of the food.

"Not bad," he murmured. Appreciating the craftsmanship, he started stuffing his face with food. He didn't see anyone he recognized here yet so he could embarrass the hell out of himself right now and he wouldn't even care.

He gulped the last of the food down, sighing in relief. Setting the plate down, Garrus moved over to the window to get a good look at the backyard. It appeared that there were a large contingent of young quarian males using the pool, splashing one another and participating in a game. Garrus squinted in interest. He had little experience in seeing quarians outside of their suits before. He knew that they were slowly starting to shed their protective layers due to the fact that geth were now assimilating into their body systems to ward of diseases, but he had no idea that the effects would take place so soon.

"Is there someone you're looking for?" a voice to his right asked.

Garrus glanced in that direction and was intrigued to see that it was another quarian who was addressing him, this one also unmasked, her silver hair floating down both sides of her face, "Ah…yes. I'm actually looking for the host…but I don't exactly know where he is."

The quarian giggled, "Then, Garrus, by that logic, wouldn't that make me the _hostess_?"

Garrus' eyes opened wide as he finally put the pieces together, "Spirits…it can't be…._Tali_?"

Despite being forty-seven years old, the woman did not appear to have aged at all. Garrus was struck that, compared to humans, her face was devoid of any blemishes or wrinkles. She had a captivating radiance that could put most of the asari race on notice. He grunted in surprise as the quarian's still lithe form sprung in for a hug.

"It's good to see you, you _bosh'tet_."

Garrus followed up with an awkward pat on the back, "I…I didn't recognize you without your visor. I didn't even know you stopped wearing it!"

"Oh, I had uploaded a geth platform into my suit years ago. My immune system slowly got updated over time and now I can remain unmasked in familiar areas without getting sick," she was beaming as she said all this. "Of course, I can't just travel to any place without my suit. It's just that…never mind. How have you been, Garrus?"

"I…" Garrus was still getting over his astonishment, "I'm fine. I just…wasn't expecting _this_, is all."

Tali rolled her eyes, "You'll get used to it. Although I can't really make faces at you underneath the visor anymore, which is one of the few drawbacks."

"Good to know," Garrus replied dryly.

Tali shrugged, "So, you said you were looking for my husband?"

"Ah, yes. I had…have something to tell him. Citadel business, unfortunately."

"What, another lecture?" Tali was referring to the fact that her husband, ever since he quit his job at C-Sec, was now working freelance as a consultant for companies, particularly munitions and heavy equipment.

"Nothing like that. But it's kind of private."

Tali laughed at that, "You do realize that he will just tell me after you leave, right?"

Garrus gave a small shrug, "Pretty much, but I kind of have to follow this assignment to the letter."

Tali gave an exaggerated frown, "Well, the sooner you tell him, the sooner I'll know. Come on, he's up in the office."

The stairway inside the house was blocked by a throng of people and rather than push unsuccessfully through the crowd, Garrus and Tali elected to go out the back way, towards the staircase in the backyard. Sliding open the glass door, Garrus was assaulted again by the heat of the day. His ever present eyepiece darkened on his one eye in a vain attempt to provide some relief. His arms prickled underneath his shirt, he was starting to get uncomfortable.

Tali tapped his arm as she pointed out towards the pool, "You see the young man, sitting on the bench near the pool?"

Garrus nodded, "Yep."

Tali smiled, "That's my son Dayrl. He came back from his Pilgrimage a few weeks ago."

"Huh. He looks a lot different that I imagined him…no mask and all, I mean."

"Ha! Well, what did you expect?"

"At this point, I have no clue. How was his experience abroad?"

Tali glowed with pride, "Very successful. Dayrl found a job working at Sirta for a year on Thessia. He came back with new drive core knowledge and presented it to the university as his dissertation."

Garrus frowned, "I thought that quarians would present their findings to a captain of a ship in the Fleet."

"That's correct," Tali nodded. "But since we have Rannoch, our Fleet isn't exactly the most important thing in the world anymore. We don't need to live aboard a ship for the rest of our lives so we implemented a new focus on knowledge and learning. All quarians today get to choose where they want to go and work for a living instead of being completely devoted to the Fleet."

"Makes sense."

"And that one, over there?" she now pointed toward a girl on the opposite side of the pool. "My youngest, Vaeri."

Garrus gave a nod in appreciation, "They've grown a lot, Tali. It's been years since I've seen them last."

"We've invited you over several times since."

"You know how hectic my job is. Not much room for socializing."

"We can start to fix that here. My husband is on a call right now so I think I'll introduce you to some people." She grabbed his arm and started dragging him over to a table, ignoring his sputtering protests.

Tali walked up to an asari in a white dress and tapped her on the shoulder, "Liara? This is Garrus, the one I told you about? He's a Council spectre."

The asari cautiously held out her hand, "A spectre? How long have you been one?"

Garrus nervously cleared his throat, "Ah…about twelve years now. It's not as glamorous as the vids make out." He shook her hand firmly, "Garrus Vakarian."

"Liara T'Soni," the asari said. "How do you know Tali?"

"I was her husband's sparring partner when he first arrived on the Citadel. We became friends and he introduced me to her one night. We've stayed in contact since."

Liara squinted, "Weren't you the turian who was helping on the Assault?"

"Uh…yes. That was me. Me, a crazy human, and one huge damn-"

"Vakarian!" a huge voice exclaimed before Garrus found himself embraced from behind and lifted into the air. "You son of a bitch, you fly across the galaxy and don't even say hi to me first? I'm crushed."

_Actually, I'm the one who's crushed_. Garrus rasped as he struggled to breathe the huge arms wrapped around his midsection. Frantically tapping at the figure, the arms released and the turian inhaled deeply, racking up a fit of coughing in the process.

"Damn it, Wrex. You trying to kill me?"

The huge, armored krogan expelled a laugh as he rapped the poor turian on the back, "You, Garrus? Nah, but I did want to scare you a bit."

"I appreciate the thought."

Liara was struggling to hide her laughter, "I had no idea how you got to be such good friends with a krogan. I've never seen one who held such a comradeship with someone who wasn't another krogan."

Wrex bared a toothy smile, "It wasn't easy, asari. It got bloody."

"_He_ got bloody," Garrus offered. "I was the one who had to patch him up afterward."

"I see," Liara smirked while Tali simply rolled her eyes.

"You never did mention how you two came to know one another," Garrus gestured from Liara to Tali, spotting the subtle exchange.

"Oh, right," Liara said. "I was visiting Rannoch on an archeology scouting party-"

"You do archeology for a living?" Garrus rose what passed for an eyebrow.

"I have my doctorate in the area; I mostly dig for prothean sites."

"Have there been any reported instances of prothean artifacts on Rannoch in the past?"

"Not that we know of. Then again, the whole planet was cordoned off for the last three centuries. Someone had to take a look," she took a sip of her drink before continuing. "When I was visiting, I happened to come across the house here when my transport broke down. I knocked and Tali answered. She offered to call for transport and held a long conversation with me until it came."

Liara laughed at the reminiscence, "It turns out that we had talked for so long that the backup transport had been waiting outside for half an hour at the time. We kept in touch afterward and now find ourselves here."

Tali, spotting Garrus' anxious posture, tapped him on the side as Liara turned to Wrex, "You can go to him now, he should be done with his call. It's the third floor."

Thanking her, he pushed through the crowd to reach the outside staircase. Climbing the metal steps, he approached another glass door and it slid open at his presence. Garrus stepped back into the climate controlled house to what passed for an office.

It was sparsely furnished, a desk sat in one corner with an extranet console. A couch sat in the middle with a large display opposite from it. Garrus walked over and sat down on the couch. He sighed as the material gave to his body. It was quite comfortable. He would have to ask what it was made from.

A hissing noise caused him to turn his head to the right, to view the source. A small door on the floor opened up and a figure walked out. He was tall, broad, a shade under six feet tall, one eighty. He wore a simple shirt and blue jeans, nothing terribly fancy. His hair was short, grey at the temples. A few lines ran across his face, but aside from those he still maintained a youthful air.

"Garrus!" Alec exclaimed. "It's good to see you."

Garrus leapt to his feet to grasp his forearms in greeting until the human pulled him in a firm embrace, "Alec, it has been too long."

The human waved a hand, "I know, I know. Being spectre isn't actually the easiest job in the world, is it? Not all sunshine and butterflies."

Garrus snorted, "I'm starting to understand why you never accepted the position in the first place."

"Priorities, man. I had the whole 'family' thing to consider."

"If I remember correctly, you weren't even told that you were actually going to be a father until _after_ you rejected the Council's offer."

Alec gave a shrug, "What can I say? I have excellent timing."

"You…" Garrus closed his mouth. "I'm not even going to bother arguing with you."

"Afraid to lose, Vakarian?"

"Trying to reason with a lunatic will not get anyone anywhere. I'll just resort to a nod and call it that."

"Well, you always have the Council to fall behind. You are their new golden boy from what I hear." Alec cocked his head, "What was it two years ago? Something about a whole crew of batarian slavers being taken out by one turian? Not a single hostage killed? Who's the lunatic here, exactly?"

"That's the thing," Garrus gave him a light shove. "I've been around you too long. Plus I've watched too many of your stupid action vids with that I whenever I find myself improvising, I resort to those incredibly dumb tactics."

"Looks good for the newsreels, huh?"

"Oh, I can hear my instructors rolling in their graves now for the poor technique those depict me in my duties." Garrus then gave a cough, "Actually, there is something that we need to discuss."

"What's that?"

"The Council sent an order before I left the Citadel. They want to meet with you."

Alec frowned, "When?"

"Tomorrow."

Alec's brow furrowed, "What for?"

At that Garrus shrugged, "Didn't say. Only mentioned that they wanted you and that I'll be there as well, but I don't think they're entirely opposed to the idea of Tali tagging along."

Nodding, Alec said, "Smart of them. You seriously have no clue of what it is they want, exactly?"

"If I had the slightest inkling, I'd tell you. No secrets between us."

"In that case, Garrus, I'd want you to stay the night if we're going to the same place anyway. I'm not having one of my best friends hanging on the hopes of finding a hotel at night."

"I…all right," Garrus relented.

"Then that's that, I suppose. Let's get back to the party, Garrus. I need to address the crowd and you might as well stand next to me and look good."

"A speech?" Garrus asked for clarification.

"Well, my son just came home after a year abroad. I think that I need to reference his achievement, don't you?"

"_You're_ the father here, not me."

* * *

There had to be at least two hundred people in the backyard alone, Garrus surmised. From what he could tell, unsurprisingly, Alec was the only human in the group, perhaps on the planet. No discomfort showed on his face though, as it was the look of a man who had everything in his life and was perfectly content.

Switching on his omni-tool, Alec spoke into it, his voice magnified, "Everyone, everyone, I'd like to thank you all for coming here today…"

The crowd immediately quieted, looking up to the man on top of the stairwell before he continued.

"We are here today to commemorate my son's successful Pilgrimage," Dayrl's friends started poking and prodding him in good fun and Dayrl laughed along. "And we welcome his safe return after a long year on Thessia."

There was a loud rush of applause as the boy looked away, rather embarrassed.

"He's got your nose," Garrus whispered mischievously, spotting the correlation.

"But Tali's eyes," Alec replied before putting his omni–tool back up to his mouth. "My son…Dayrl…" Alec held out a hand. "You are now an adult. You now have the choice to do anything that you desire in your life. Build a home, enlist in the fleet, start a family, all of this is now open to you. But, I only ask one thing from you. And that is for wherever your path in life takes you, that you enjoy what you do, that you are happy for the rest of your days."

Alec took a deep breath before continuing, "I have taught you all I know, my son. I have watched you grow into the man you are today. I now say this, with love in my heart, that me and your mother-," he gestured to Tali. "-We are always here for you. Our door is always open for our wonderful son. We love you and we will always love you."

He lowered his hand with a nod and the applause started up again. Dayrl was teary eyed as he stared up at his father. He mouthed a "thank you" to which Alec placed a hand over his heart. Next to him, Garrus was clapping loudly.

"Nicely done," the turian said. "You do well with your words just as much as a sword."

"Between you and me, Garrus," Alec admitted. "I felt it was kind of cliché."

"What does it matter? You were speaking the truth and that is enough."

Alec shrugged, he could always count on Garrus to make him feel more confident, "If you say so. Now, I'm personally _starving_. Did you happen to spot any good levo food while you were down there?

"Levo? Wasn't even looking for them. Now, your dextro appetizers, I have to say, were absolutely fantastic…"

* * *

"You know dad, you didn't really have to say all that."

The four of them stood in front of the staircase, the crowd having just dispersed after an entire evening. All of the stragglers had gone as well, and cleaning drones were now doing a sweep of the house, emitting a blue light as they vaporized any excess debris left on the ground after the festivities.

"What are you talking about?" Alec said in mock surprise. "You're my son, it's my duty to show you off whenever I can."

"Your father just loves you very much, is all," Tali said as she sidled up to her husband's waist.

Dayrl laughed, "I know, it's just…thank you, dad. For everything."

Alec brought his son in for a hug, "You did very well, Dayrl. I'm proud of you."

Tali also hugged her son while Vaeri rolled her eyes at the exorbitant display of emotion.

"You won't be getting off so easily, young lady," Alec cautioned, seeing the gesture. "This same thing is going to happen to you when you go off for your Pilgrimage."

"I _know_, dad," she grinned. "But you still act like we're going to get shot at all the time whenever we leave the house."

Alec and Tali stole a glance at that, "I'm…not saying it couldn't happen."

"Dad," Dayrl said. "Relax. We've heard your war stories before and I think that we understand the point by now."

"_War stories_?" Alec stiffened in surprise. "Do you really think I'm that old? I only was in two big skirmishes. Two! You kids just act like I sit around the fireplace and do nothing but grumble and curse in a drunken haze."

Vaeri and Tali giggled, "You might have done that once or twice."

"_Enough_," Alec sighed. "You're still going to hear my 'war stories' in the future whether you like it or not. Right now, it's late and you two should be off to bed. Don't make me grab Garrus to back me up on this."

"Leave me out of this," a voice called from the guest room sleepily.

Before Vaeri could open up her mouth to negotiate, Alec said, "And _no_. Your boyfriend is not staying over."

"But…why not?" she sputtered.

"Because I have to leave for the Citadel early tomorrow and I don't like the idea of leaving you two in the house by yourself."

"Oh come on! It will take him forever to get back home at this point."

"Tough, he should have called a shuttle ahead of time. And isn't this your fifth boyfriend in the span of a year?"

"He's the same one and you know it," Vaeri glowered. "You say this every time-"

"Because it gets you riled up every time. He's not staying over. End of story."

Vaeri turned to her mother for help. Tali simply shrugged and their daughter turned and left in a huff. Dayrl had already retired to his room so the remaining two ascended the stairs to their own bedroom. Once inside, Alec peeled off his shirt and pants, stepping into sleeping clothes quickly.

"You did mention that you were going to the Citadel tomorrow," Tali sat down next to him on the bed. "Was that what Garrus wanted to talk about?"

"Yeah, he said that the Council wanted to speak with me about something."

"What?"

"No idea," Alec shrugged. "I honestly don't have the first clue of what exactly what they would want."

"Are you worried?"

"I can't be worried if I don't know what to expect, could I?"

Tali bit her lip, "You also did mention that you would be leaving Vaeri and Dayrl home alone so that means…"

"You're coming along," Alec addressed his wife. "Garrus let slip that the Council wasn't being particularly picky on who I bring, just so long as I knew of the event first."

"Saves time on you having to tell me everything."

"It seems they finally have grasped the value of foresight."

"What do you figure?" she asked, placing an arm around Alec's neck. "That they're going to beg you to be a spectre again?"

"Knowing the luck I've had in the past," Alec leaned in to kiss Tali. "That's the least of my worries."


	3. Chapter 2: Where Do You Belong?

The soft chiming brought Alec out of his sleep. Blinking his eyes, he groaned as he adjusted his body position and turned off the built in alarm on his chronometer. Resting comfortably on his shoulder was a wisp of silvery hair atop a smooth grey head. Alec smiled at the sight, this part never got old even after twenty two years of marriage.

Tali was now starting to stir, she yawned as she slowly brought her head up. With the weight off his body, Alec left the bed and made for the bathroom, not wanting to waste any time. Depressing the button for the shower, he relaxed in the hot spray as he gradually became more awake.

He glanced over at the mirror on the side and ran a hand through his scalp. He noted the greying of his temples but rather oddly, he didn't care about the sign of age. Tali had mentioned that it made him look more "quarian" and that put a whole new perspective on the human aging process.

As if his thoughts were read out loud, he heard a slight scraping as the curtain to the shower was pulled away and he felt a pair of smooth arms wrap around his waist. He gave a smile; he always loved when she did this.

"Something on your mind?" a lovely voice swept through.

Alec turned to face Tali, who was edging into the spray of the shower, eager to feel water on her skin (a sensation that she had yet to take for granted). He wrapped his arms around her, feeling her warmth overpower the shower itself, "Just on how this day is going to turn out. I'm still very puzzled as to why the Council requested me, specifically."

"It should be fine. What could they possibly ask of you?"

Alec gave a laugh, "I have no idea."

Tali smiled as she rested her head against her husband's chest, feeling his heartbeat against his firm skin, "Should we start getting ready?"

Running a hand through her hair, Alec replied, "Might as well, if we want to get to the Citadel on time."

Rather reluctantly, they both finished up their chores in the bathroom and exited fifteen minutes later. Alec grabbed a pair of pants and a nondescript shirt, plus a worn and tired looking leather jacket. Tali stepped out of the bathroom in her new environment suit shortly after. She didn't need a helmet for this trip and every part on her suit was brand new. It featured more angular gauntlets, her boots were made out of tougher material, and she had appropriated a scarf, colored purple that she wrapped around her neck in place of her gold choker, which flowed down behind her. Her silver hair gleamed lusciously in the light as she checked herself over, making Alec give an appraising nod.

Leaving the room together, they walked down the stairs to find Garrus waiting at the foot. He was wearing the same clothes as yesterday, complete with the same glowing blue eyepiece.

"I was beginning to wonder if you two were ever going to come down," the turian growled.

"Quit your complaining, Garrus," Alec said. "We've got three hours until the meeting."

"Yeah, and the next shuttle to the Citadel from the city leaves in half an hour."

Alec waggled a finger, "We're not taking the shuttle."

Without waiting for a response, Alec and Tali walked over to a door on the side of the room. It slid open when Alec approached the green icon and they all stepped in. It was the size of a closet, nothing in it whatsoever. Garrus was about to make a snarky comment when the floor lurched and he could feel its descent.

"Elevator," Garrus said. "Tricky."

Uncharacteristically, the elevator reached its destination within fifteen seconds and Garrus breathed in sharply after seeing what the cavern they were now in contained.

The ship was large, by civilian standards, and featured a blue and white color scheme on its wings. It was lightly armored and moderately equipped with micro-turrets. It was a turian design and only now did Garrus recognize the ship.

"Is that…the ship that you got on Tuchanka?"

Alec grinned widely, "Same one, with a few extra upgrades. Garrus, meet the _Alamo_."

"Should I know what an Alamo is?"

Alec gave a shrug, "It was the site of a siege on Earth roughly two hundred years ago. It became the site of legend for the freedom fighters in the area and became the catalyst for independence at the time."

"Humans and your silly names. But why do you keep it in a cave?"

Tali now answered, "Have to, Garrus. Otherwise the elements will just eat away at it."

"Plus it saves us the costs of having to park it in a dock," Alec added. "No annual fees to record on the ledger." The group was now approaching the gantry that extended to the ship's right side, the door open and inviting.

Alec waved a hand to his turian friend, "Want to take a look?"

* * *

The _Alamo_ was entirely automated, thanks to the geth runtimes uploaded into its servers. With mechanical precision, the ship edged itself out of the dock and out of the Rannoch atmosphere within three minutes. Proceeding directly to the relay, the ship was struck by the characteristic burst of energy as it suddenly was propelled forward faster than the speed of light.

Two hours later, the same ship winked back into existence as it approached the Widow relay. The turian vessel edged through the nebula and towards the huge station situated in the middle.

When it docked, a human, turian, and a quarian hurriedly exited off the walkway, proceeding to the nearest elevator that would take them to their destination. Once they stepped inside, Garrus pressed the button for one of the lower docks on the station.

"We're not meeting in the chambers?" Alec asked.

Garrus shrugged, "Guess not. They said to meet in bay 081. That's usually restricted to civilians."

"What could possibly be this important that they want to see Alec for?" Tali asked. "None of this is making any sense."

"We'll find out in a minute, anyway." Alec said grimly.

When the doors finally slid open, the group was immediately approached by a pair of turian guards, who waved their omni-tools around everyone. They blinked green after the scan had completed and waved them on through, the door opening.

The bay was smaller than Alec was expecting. It only had enough room to fit two turian light attack craft. In the center of the bay stood an object that Alec was not expecting to see. It had several exposed parts, struts protruding in all directions, foil covering the main body, and a huge dish situated on top.

Alec shook his head in disbelief, "I don't fucking _believe_ this."

"What is it, Alec?" Tali asked, worried.

"This," Alec waved a hand. "This is a _human_ satellite."

"That is correct, Mr. Lee," came an unfamiliar flanged voice. The group turned to observe as four individuals were walking to them from across the bay. Approaching them were a salarian, an asari, a quarian, and a turian. The Citadel Council.

Pointing at the object, Alec asked, "Why? Why did you bring me here? Was it to confirm what this was?"

The turian councilor shook his head, "Not exactly, Mr. Lee. You were brought here because of the significance of this satellite."

"I don't understand. This looks like a normal satellite to me."

The quarian councilor stepped forward, "It may be a normal satellite to you, but to us, it represents something much different." She tilted her head sadly, "This was built utilizing technology that was reverse engineered from our projects when we had arrived on Earth. Our interference with your species has caused them to develop in ways we could never have predicted."

Alec was curious, "What exactly are you saying?"

"This…this represents humanity's next step towards reaching the cosmos. They know that they are not the only species to inhabit this galaxy and they have increased their efforts in an attempt to match us technologically."

"Oh no," Tali breathed. "We inspired them…to go beyond what we had intended."

"Think about it," the asari councilor said. "Humanity has only ever been able to send out objects that were limited to a certain speed. When we picked this up, we were able to determine that it had been launched only three months ago. Three months, from a distance in which it should have taken a hundred and twelve _years_, given your research status at the turn of the century."

"So you called me over here so that you could tell me how much humanity has grown? Forgive me councilors, but there has to be another reason for why you called me here."

"There is," the turian councilor replied. "This decision was not initially my choice. The other councilors managed to convince me to their way of thinking on this but I still hold back some reservations. Regardless, we have decided that with humanity's current rate of expansion, they will be able to move past their current boundaries very quickly in the galactic sense. When that day comes, we will not be able to hold them back as they race to expand further than anyone, besides you, has gone."

The turian cleared his throat, "With that being said, the Council has decided to extend an offer of cooperation to your human hierarchies within the month in the hopes that they will see the potential of having allies in this galaxy."

There was silence in the air. No one spoke as the quiet threatened to drown out everything. Alec slowly blinked his eyes in surprise and elicited a short laugh.

"You…you're kidding right?"

"I assure you, Mr. Lee, that this is no laughing matter."

"No…you're damn right it's not. What are you _thinking_?"

Everyone in the room recoiled at Alec's words. "Excuse me?" the salarian councilor asked, shocked.

"Don't tell me you forgot what happened here over twenty years ago. Humans tried to murder all of you!"

The quarian councilor spoke, "That was an isolated incident, we cannot-"

"_Isolated_? Dozens dead and a councilor killed and you call something like that isolated?" Alec turned to the turian councilor. "You say you have looked past _your_ reservations but I've got plenty right now!"

"Actually," the turian admitted. "They're all coming back to me."

"This is incredible," Alec said in shock. "You told me specifically that you had enacted a blockade around the system. Now because humans are growing you decide to suddenly break it?"

"If we kept up the blockade," the quarian councilor explained. "The humans would start to feel caged. Resistance and revolt would spread throughout their ranks and would lead to a galactic war. We are simply hoping to avoid that inevitability."

"Despite the fact that humans have constantly proven to you that they are incapable of earning anyone's trust for very long? An attack on the quarians, a siege on the Citadel. What's next for the human history book of war?"

"That's not true, Alec!" Tali cried. "If there is one thing that you are wrong about, it is about yourself. _You_ are the proof that humans can be trusted. We all trust you here! I…_I_ trust you…"

Alec felt extraordinarily guilty as he held out a hand to which Tali grasped tightly, "You're right, Tali. I got a little carried away there, possibly." He raised his voice slightly to be heard, "But I'm an anomaly for all of you. I'm the one human you all have known to put faith in. That statistic is not enough, especially when it's the safety of the people I care about that are affected by this fact."

The asari councilor dipped her head, "We have not known many humans in our lifetime, Alec. But…what if there were others like you? People who are capable of adapting, even in the most extreme of circumstances."

Alec wilted in slight embarrassment. Tali squeezed his hand in assurance. Alec returned the gesture, savoring the smooth feel of her skin in the strong grip.

"But there is another reason why we brought you here today, Alec."

Alec lifted his head to meet the asari's gaze, "What is that?"

"We…we were hoping that you might lead the expeditionary force to Earth as part of the team to make contact with the human representatives."

"_What_?" Alec stammered in shock. "No. Absolutely not."

"In these circumstances, it would seem to reason that you are the best-"

"There is no way that I am going back to Earth."

He could see Garrus stiffen slightly at his harsh words. Tali on the other hand gave a slight jolt, "W-why? You don't want to see your world…your _home_ again?"

"I have a home, Tali. Earth no longer became my homeworld when they tried to take you away from me."

"But…but it doesn't seem right…"

Alec turned to the councilors, "Why me? Why choose me? I'm no diplomat, what good could I possibly do for you in this case?"

The turian councilor now spoke, "Because you are a human, it would be a source of relief for the other humans on your planet to see what integration with our society can achieve."

"And," the quarian councilor added. "You do have experience negotiating. You already know of the stakes the situation presents. Your perspective will give the humans valuable insight on-"

"My answer is still no, councilors. Earth is a very dangerous place. We have no business being there at all and an alliance will not be to our benefit."

"And you don't feel guilty in the least about potentially condemning your fellow humans to their fate? By not providing them with an opportunity to explore the limits of their abilities?"

"They aren't 'mine,' councilor. It's also the fact that we have no way of telling what will happen once humanity reaches the very limit of its potential. And that scares me."

Without waiting for a reply, he abruptly turned and walked quickly back towards the elevator. He heard a slight shuffle as Tali and Garrus shortly ran up to join him. There were no words of protest from the councilors as he walked away. Nothing whatsoever.

* * *

"You stubborn _bosh'tet_."

Alec groaned at the rebuke. They were in their apartment near the embassies on the station. Garrus had gone back to his home shortly after they left the bay. Currently they sat across from each other on opposite beds, both staring at one another. Tali was glowering at him, her eyes mixed with sadness and confusion.

"Why did you just walk away like that? What was the point?"

Alec shook his head, "There was no point, Tali. I'm never going back to that planet and I made that part quite clear."

"It's been over twenty years, so much could have changed?"

"You really think that?" Alec asked darkly. "In a five year span, Earth has only provided a slew of monsters that have all tried to take you away from me. I cannot take that chance again."

"Surely you can't think that they're all like that!" Tali exclaimed. "I know that there are millions of humans like you on that planet. Good, kind people who are capable of emotion...of _love_."

Alec stared out into space, a glazed look on his face, "You...are right, Tali. But I will always be ashamed at how initial impression. I don't know if I can face the prospect of going back..."

Tali got up and sat down on the edge of his bed, grasping his hands in her own, "But Earth is your home. You have a chance to go back to your homeworld now. You gave me mine, so why not take yours?"

"There is nothing for me there. Only bad memories."

"They're just memories," Tali soothed, rubbing his scalp. "There have to be some good ones there, though. Remember, when you first met me? Does that count?"

Alec smiled sadly, "Of course it counts. That was one of the best days of my life."

"And the day when we declared our love, was that any better?"

"That was the happiest I had ever been in years…but what happened right before that was…horrible. I…just…"

"What? Tell me, what is it?"

"I just don't want you to get hurt again!" Alec said savagely. "Humans have brought us nothing but pain. _Christ_, Tali, they tried to kill us! And you want me to suddenly forgive them?"

She started to tremble, her eyes were welling with tears. Alec, internally fuming at his sternness, brought his wife in for a tender hug, "Tali, I'm sorry. You didn't need that. I just can't abide the thought of losing you-"

She kissed him passionately, her hands slithering around his neck. Alec immediately stopped all protest and closed his eyes in the wake of the tender sensation, feeling her lips on his as they focused on nothing else.

She pulled her head back, "You don't need to be sorry. I understand."

Alec traced a line with his fingers over her cheek, "I…the last thing I want to do is hurt you, Tali. And I don't want anyone coming between us again. I just can't take that risk with the way humans as a whole have treated us…_you_."

"You could never hurt me, Alec. Personally, I can't just sit here knowing you don't want to even return to your homeworld again."

"Drawing from parallels now?"

Tali nodded, "Seeing my homeworld was a goal I thought I would never achieve. The ultimate victory for the quarian people and now you view your own homeworld as a blight, a scar upon the galaxy."

Alec sighed, "Perhaps it is."

"That's the problem! You are capable of seeing the good in everyone except your own species. I know that you would do anything for your friends…for _me_. Yet you constantly shun humans at every turn as if each one has sinned against you."

"I can never forget what they did to us," Alec growled. His arms were now grasped around Tali's slim waist, drawing her closer to him unconsciously.

"_Screw_ them," Tali said forcefully, utilizing a favored expression of Alec's. "The ones who tried to kill us, they're gone. The councilors were right in one area that you were wrong in, you can't characterize the actions of a few for the actions of many."

"Even so…"

"Even so, you're not giving them a chance! Why can't you look and see the good in them as I do with the man who's sitting here before me?"

Alec opened his mouth to argue his point further when he realized that he had nothing left. He didn't have anything to say at that. Tali sat across, mouth in a hard line but he could tell that she was triumphant at her victory of being able to put him at a loss for words.

He sighed, "Do you really think that everything is going to turn out okay?"

"I have to, you _bosh'tet_."

"You should have been a diplomat, Tali," Alec shook his head with a laugh. "You make a convincing argument."

Tali wiped her eyes as she leaned in to kiss her husband once again. Slowly they leaned back on the bed, each one protectively encasing the other in an embrace as their hands started to explore the other's body. Sighs of pleasure escaped from the both of them as their lips brushed one another, every tender touch in reassurance of their mutual desire.


	4. Chapter 3: Getting the Band Together

There was a slight flutter on her arms. There was something there but she could not discern it. It was in this room with her, but she was unable to see anything. Why was that?

Dimly aware of where she was, she felt a touch on her bare shoulder. Something was caressing her, it felt nice. She recalled memories of being back home, where she would be in this exact position in bed, just her and her-

Her eyes opened as she sat up suddenly, the covers falling down around her. She glanced at the stimulus coming from her shoulder and spied a hand on it. With her gaze, she followed the path of the hand until she could put a body and a face with it. Her husband was sitting next to her on her left, fully dressed as she now realized she was naked.

Alec was smiling at her, "Morning, Tali."

Tali yawned, "Morning, love. What time is it?" She did not make a move for her suit, which was lying in a heap on the opposite side of the bed, cast aside during the previous night. She ignored the fact that she was without clothes because there was only one person who would ever see her like this and that person just so happened to be in this room.

"About nine in the morning," he said. "If you get dressed quickly, we can go see the Council sooner which will give us more time to talk later."

Tali frowned, "The Council? Whatever for?"

"I realized that last night…you were right. My homeworld _is_ important to me and…I do miss it."

Tali gave a wide smile, "Is it time to say 'I told you so' yet?"

Alec made a face, "Don't get smart with me, woman." But his expression softened as he tenderly laid a kiss on her cheek, sending shivers up her spine. She closed her eyes as her back arched, her breath somehow vanishing from her.

"We…we'd better get…ready, then," she managed to which Alec removed his hand and let her collect herself.

Five minutes later, they were seated in one of the Citadel's many aircars as it sped on to the tower located in the middle of the superstructure. Alec immensely preferred this form of transportation over the elevators because there was the actual feeling like he was actually going somewhere, with all of the landmarks passing him by rather than just being stuck in a box for half an hour. Plus in these things he could at least sit down comfortably.

When the aircar arrived, the both of them sprung up the staircase that led to the main chambers. They nodded at the geth guards manning the post, who quickly scanned them and ushered them inside. Alec was relieved to see that no one was currently meeting the Council at this time so he simply walked up to the platform and waited for an acknowledgement.

They lifted their heads as he approached, surprised at the human's assertiveness.

"I probably should have called ahead, councilors," Alec explained. "But I wanted to tell you everything at once."

"What did you want to say, Alec?" the quarian councilor asked.

Alec paused a bit before proceeding, "I'm saying…that I will take you up on your offer. I'll go to Earth and lead the expeditionary force."

The turian councilor leaned forward, "This is quite a change from yesterday. What made you decide that this was the path you wanted to travel?"

Alec glanced slightly at the quarian who was standing at his side, "I was…convinced that I should try and view my species a little more…objectively."

"Despite your initial misgivings."

"Oh, I still have misgivings, councilor. But I'm willing to look past them for the time being…if this little excursion manages to be fruitful."

"This is excellent news, then," the asari councilor said. "When will you be ready to depart for the system?"

_Getting right down to business, are we?_ Alec cleared his throat, "Is there a specific timetable you would have this whole thing set by?"

"Preferably within the month. You see, we had already sent out a message to Earth when we intercepted this probe."

If he had been drinking anything at the moment, he would have choked, "Wait…what? You already sent a message? You were planning this thing even before I even accepted?"

"In this case," the quarian councilor explained. "Your participation in this was considered a priority but not entirely mandatory. We anticipate that they have received our transmission by now and we expect to get more details regarding your destination soon."

"Hold on for a minute…'they?' Who the hell is 'they?'"

"I believe the representatives of the sovereign nation you know as America."

Alec sighed, "Knowing the significance of this event, naturally the entire world will send representatives to this meeting."

The salarian councilor nodded, "Seeing as our existence is a little more public than the last time a Council race made contact with Earth, we anticipate that several of your world leaders will be present for this, rather than just the one."

Alec breathed out, "This situation just got a whole lot more complicated. There are several nations on the planet who don't get along well with others, at least when I was there last. There may be some political infighting and repercussions in light of this."

"Did you have a suggestion on how to handle such an event, in case that was to happen?"

Alec turned slightly, hand on his chin in thought. He took a few paces in different directions before raising his head slightly, "A fleet. I will need a fleet."

"What do you mean 'a fleet?'" the turian councilor asked.

"I mean, we need to show Earth that the Council is no pushover. We need to be able to prove to them that we have enough firepower to send them back to the Stone Age should they choose to get any funny ideas, about attacking themselves or us. A fleet will be able to provide that intimidation factor and will show them all that we mean business."

"You want to send a fleet over for such a delicate situation such as this?"

Alec nodded vehemently, "Yes councilors, I do. Consider this a concession on your part for my involvement. I am taking no chances with this and I am trying to exhibit as much foresight as I can on this, I'm not going to be responsible for one more death."

"If you feel that way, Alec," the asari councilor said. "We will approve your request."

Alec blinked. He certainly did not expect to win that argument that easily. He was about to say more when the asari continued, "Of course, with such a mass amount of resources being devoted to this, we will have to implement more levels of control over this, assigning a spectre to direct the fleets or something along those lines. But, then again, you will command the whole show because you know the planet best. You still hold a rank in C-Sec, Lieutenant I believe? And you are also a skilled combatant so you have a wealth of talents to choose from. Naturally it is only fitting that you be given the rank of Captain for the duration of the mission."

He also did not expect that part at all. Alec gaped slightly at the news. Captain? Of a whole fleet? The magnitude of the revelation crashed down on his shoulders, he felt ten times heavier. Tali, on the other hand could have defied gravity for she was now practically bouncing up and down on her toes, a tic that she had never quite grown out of.

"I…I don't know what to say, councilors," he stammered. "Are you sure I'm capable of the rank?"

"Is this coming from the same human who saved our lives plus the lives of others over twenty years ago?" the turian councilor barked. "Trust us, you're the man for the job."

"You will exhibit command over all ships assigned to you," the asari councilor explained. "If we assign a spectre, they will have tactical command only in times of war. They will not outrank you here. You have full control over the entire setup."

"Will I be able to pick the team that goes down with me to the surface?"

"Just as long as they've been checked out thoroughly. We may also implement some key personnel for you from our staff."

Alec nodded, "I'll send you the list of the people I intend to have on my command team, then."

"I don't suppose that _she_ will be on it?" the salarian councilor now pointed at Tali, who immediately shrunk back at the all the attention being directed to her.

"Of course," Alec said matter-of-factly, instinctively moving back to bring them side by side again. "That obvious?"

* * *

_Rannoch_

There was a clamoring of footsteps coming from the room above. Rolling his eyes, Alec moved over to the stairwell and thrust out an arm, blocking the path of the two people who were currently racing to get to the bottom.

"Where exactly do you think you two are going?" Alec asked, arching an eyebrow.

Dayrl and Vaeri both flushed, clearly not anticipating getting stonewalled.

It was Vaeri who spoke first, "Come on, dad. We want to be in on the meeting with you guys."

Alec shook his head, "No way, you guys. This meeting is for adults only. You're too young to be-"

"Um, dad?" Dayrl asked. "You did say a few days ago that I was now technically an adult, remember? You had a big speech and everything."

Alec silently cursed himself and opened his mouth to give out a well-known parenting loophole before his son beat him to the punch.

"And don't even think about saying that it was a 'figure of speech.' You meant every word of what you said."

Alec gaped at his son, "You really are too smart for your own good. It's gotten to the point where I can't win every single argument with you guys anymore."

"Does that mean he gets to go?" Vaeri whined. "He's just going to tell me what's happening anyways, won't you Dayrl?"

Alec gave a small smile. They were certainly his kids through and through. No secrets kept from anyone. He basked in his pride for a brief second before continuing, "This matter, kids, is one of a sensitive nature. You wouldn't be able to do anything in this case, much less speak in front of the group."

"At least let us go with you to Earth," Dayrl protested.

Alec frowned, "Who told you we were going to Earth?"

"Mom. And Garrus."

"Remind me to kick that sorry turian's ass next time we spar together. Your mother, on the other hand…she probably had her reasons."

"She certainly did," Tali said as she now walked over. "And there was no way that I was about to keep our children in the dark over a matter as important as this."

"Besides," Dayrl interjected. "This is our first chance to get to see your homeworld, dad. It's something I've always wanted to happen."

"You…" Alec paused. "You've never mentioned that before…and now all of a sudden you want to see Earth?"

"You never brought it up. I've always wondered what your planet looked like…you know…for _humans_."

Alec crossed his arms as he gave an incredulous expression, "You know, all these years you could've just _asked_ me."

Dayrl shrugged, "Asking and seeing are two different things. And...I also really want to know where you came from, dad. I want to get to know the other half of my heritage."

Alec was touched at that, much to his surprise, "You sound like you've wanted to get this off your chest, son."

Dayrl nodded slowly, "You're my _father_. I have to know."

Alec shook his head at Tali who merely shrugged. "You really want to go to Earth?" he addressed his children.

"Yes," they both replied simultaneously.

"Despite the fact that you know how dangerous it is."

"We can read extranet reports, dad," Vaeri rolled her eyes. "We know how you and mom met, you've only told the story seven hundred times so far."

"That's not a straight answer."

"We want to," Dayrl replied immediately. "Both of us."

Alec swayed to the side, head tilted down in thought. "All right…but," he added as his children began to jump for joy. "You aren't going to be present at any meetings, you won't leave the ship unless it's absolutely safe, and Dayrl," he now looked at his eldest. "You're responsible for looking after your sister."

"I'm eighteen, dad!" Vaeri protested. "I can look after myself. Mom!" she turned to for support.

Tali said, "I'm in agreement with your father on this. I believe that it is an important opportunity for you guys to see what planet your father grew up on, but there is still an inherent danger that we just cannot risk you two for."

"It's all because we love you," Alec grinned. "Now get back upstairs, the grown-ups have to talk."

Trying and failing to think of new protests, the kids backed up the steps and to their respective rooms, leaving Alec and Tali alone by the foot of the stairs. Tali glanced over at her husband and gave a smile, "I think that worked out well, don't you."

Alec sarcastically laughed, "Next time, let me know when you tell our kids stuff like that. I blundered straight into their argument like an idiot."

Tali lightly swatted his arm, "I actually didn't tell them first, I only confirmed it after Garrus blurted it out."

"Yeah, well, I can beat Garrus up later."

"And me?"

Alec squinted his eyes, "There may be something in store for you later, but right now we need to get this meeting underway."

They walked into their kitchen where their main dining table had been appropriated and expanded to accommodate the extra guests that were seated. Food of many different varieties was displayed around the table in both levo and dextro formats.

Alec and Tali quickly took their seats next to each other as the group smiled and nodded at the appearance of the final members. Liara T'Soni sat on Tali's other side, giving the woman a smile that she reciprocated, thankful that she didn't have to wear her visor all the time anymore. Garrus Vakarian sat next to Alec, whose plate was currently filled with morsels that he had appropriated from the center. Urdnot Wrex sat between Garrus and Liara, relatively calm and stoic until Alec spotted the remnants of an expensive plate scattered across the table, white dust immediately visible. The krogan had evidently eaten it along with the food it contained.

"So, Alec," Wrex belched. "You got a reason for dragging our asses all the way over here? I'm assuming it's not just for the food."

Alec shook his head, "No, Wrex. It's something a little bit…bigger. And Garrus?"

The turian peered up from the small crayfish he was in the middle of devouring. "_Whagh_?" he managed with a mouthful of food.

"Thanks for telling my kids about the mission. I don't know how turians classify things as 'private' but for humans, it tends to be that it is the duty of the parents to tell their children the life-changing material."

"Hey, they wanted to know what was going on!"

"You're a spectre, why didn't you just lie?"

Garrus threw up his hands, "They were being so attentive and polite and it just came out. I'm sorry, okay?"

"Excuses, excuses, turian," Wrex laughed. "But back to business. I heard the word 'mission' in there somewhere, does that mean we're going on a thresher maw safari? I've been itching to kill something the size of a skyscraper for years now."

He could see that all of the people seated around the table, excluding Tali, were leaning in a little closer. He cleared his throat, "It isn't…a thresher safari, Wrex. The Council has assigned me the task of being their representative to go to Earth and extend them an invitation to join the rest of the races under the Council's banner."

Liara's eyes widened, "Goddess, that's fantastic, Alec. Does that mean…we get to visit your world?"

"Yes it does. Assuming the world's leaders accept the Council's terms, everyone should be able to visit Earth whenever they would like." Alec straightened his posture, "I have chosen you all to be part of my command team because there is no one else that I could trust better with a task such as this. The Council did advise me of collecting a 'varied and multiracial' group of characters to accompany me when we travel down to the surface. I personally think that everyone at this table fits that bill."

"This thing for real, Garrus?" Wrex asked glancing to the side.

"I was there when it was announced," Garrus replied. "Although the lunatic here refused them rather bluntly and I guess he reconsidered afterward. I only just found that out same time you did."

"Heh. I bet I can guess what made him reconsider," the krogan laughed after making a non-so-subtle movement of the head towards Tali.

"Funny, guys," Alec said in a deadpan tone. "But I've requested your help with me on this mission because I want people I know behind me. I'm not going to sugarcoat anything here. Earth can be a very unpredictable place. The area where we will be making landfall will be in a highly populated area, but there is still the possibility of an attack taking place. Ask me or Tali, some humans are highly resistant to change and will take matters into their own hands if they want to prevent any change from occurring. With that being said, does anyone want to back out now?"

There was silence around the table as the three guests firmly shook their heads. Alec grinned and Tali smiled.

Wrex suddenly blurted, "Will we be provided weapons…you know, just in case?"

Alec replied, "The armory on my ship, the _Alamo_, is currently fully stocked. You can have your pick of the lot as it will be the de facto command ship for this mission. And yes, Wrex, I do have grenade launchers."

"Excellent," the krogan rubbed his hands happily, making Alec give a long look.

"Discretion, Wrex," Alec said. "I had to do a ton of convincing to allow you to come along if you so desired. They weren't particularly happy about the idea that a krogan would be involved in something like this."

"Ah, they haven't met me," Wrex said good-naturedly. "I'm calmer than my brethren and I can hold off my bloodlust for a day…or two."

"Do you really expect that we will be in a firefight?" Liara asked. "We're only going to be on Earth for a week at most. Surely there isn't much that could happen at that time?"

Tali responded, "I don't think we want to take any chances. Alec is right, Earth has proven itself to be dangerous. You can carry if you want, but I would recommend at least bringing along a pistol. Or a knife." Tali added the last part with a mischievous wink.

Garrus cleared his throat, "Um, Alec, I know you said that you wanted me for the trip but the Council already appointed a spectre for backup on this. Don't you think having me come along is a bit overkill?"

"Nonsense, Garrus. You really think I'm going to leave my best friend out of something like this? Although, I am rather curious on whom they picked to tag along with us. Did you find out anything from the Council?"

"Yes, I did," Garrus nodded. "He's a turian, been a spectre for only a few years now. Name's Arterius, brash, young, impulsive."

"So…basically you at that age."

Garrus lowered his eyes, "Not quite. Me and Arterius have a bit of a history…not all of it pleasant."

"What kind of a spectre is he?" Tali asked.

"The worst kind," Garrus sighed, "I was once tailing a batarian arms dealer on Omega ten years back. He was fronting for the Blue Suns and I needed him to reveal the gang's hideout. He stopped at a store to shake down the clerk when all of a sudden Arterius shows up and shoots the guy in the head. I'm of course furious, because I was standing to the side watching the whole thing. I walk up and demand to know why he did it and the little punk just stood there and laughed. He claimed that he had the right to shoot him because he technically was engaging in illegal activity. He was just too blind to see the bigger picture in this case."

"Ouch," Wrex said. "What happened afterward?"

"I punched him in the face so hard he had to go into surgery to get his right mandible realigned."

Liara made a face at that, "Well…let's just be thankful he'll have no real control over this."

"Seconded," Alec said. "All right, but in any case, we won't have to worry about him. You all will be my eyes and ears for this whole trip. Not Arterius. As far as you all are concerned, the _Alamo_ is the center of it all. It will be equipped with a full staff, primarily geth and turian. Like I said before, we will have a fully functioning armory and we will even be getting a geneticist who also is doubling as a medic. So there will be someone to heal us in case we get shot."

Alec tapped on the table for a bit, "I believe that is it, everyone. Do all of you still want to do this? No shame in backing out now."

Not one person at the table voiced a word of protest. Alec grinned, "Thanks guys. I can't tell you how much this means to me."

"Ah, quit your blubbering, pyjak," Wrex grumbled. "The way you act all emotional it makes me wonder how the hell you managed to kill my stupid brother."

"I can act tough when I want to, Wrex."

"Tell me about it," Tali muttered.

* * *

_Citadel – Bay D45_

Alec glanced at the crewmembers walking up the gateway to the sleek turian ship that was parked just outside the window. Turians and geth tirelessly were hauling crates into the interior of the _Alamo_, filled with provisions and enough ammunition to reenact the Assault on the Citadel twice.

Alec nodded at them all. His command crew, comprised of Tali, Garrus, Liara, and Wrex were already on board, most likely in the CIC. Dayrl and Vaeri were stowed away in their bunk, staying out of the way of the crew until departure.

He cracked his neck and sighed. He was encased in his Terminus Assault armor, helmet folded into the chestplate. He was only carrying a Predator pistol at the moment but he already felt secure from all of the different ways that the snug armor encasing his body was protecting him.

There were a series of heavy footsteps coming his way, he noticed. He turned to face a hulking beast of a turian. He was around six feet tall and wore a dull grey armor. He had the barest amount of facepaint on him, a scant few white lines that ran on his mandibles. With the paint, Alec could clearly see a scar on the right mandible which indicated where Garrus had punched him. This must be Arterius, come to introduce himself.

"Human," the turian spoke, its voice grating. "Saren Arterius, the spectre assigned for shadow command."

Alec frowned, "_Captain_. The word you're looking for is captain, I believe."

The turian scrunched its features in disgust, "Captain, then. I apologize." There was no remorse whatsoever in the turian's words.

"Is there a problem, spectre?" Alec asked. "Do _we_ have a problem?"

Saren stiffened, "No…_sir_. There's no problem. I'm…just not used to taking orders from a human before."

Alec had decided by now that he did not like this turian at all, "You're just going to have to get used to it. This mission's focus is going to be on humans so they can have a shot in galactic politics one day, so-"

"You know, human, if it were up to me, I would have not even allowed your kind to step foot on the Citadel for the next century after what they did all those years ago," Saren said darkly. "I probably would have obliterated them in retaliation."

"_Don't_ interrupt me again," Alec warned. "And if you call me 'human' again I will break your other mandible and finish Garrus' work."

Saren leaned forward, "You really want to threaten me, captain?"

Alec huffed at the sheer audacity, "Look, pal. I don't care if you're a spectre or not, I'm the one in charge here, not you. I couldn't give a damn what you really feel about humans." Alec arched an eyebrow at the turian's reaction, "Don't act so stiff! I can tell you don't like humans all that much, which includes me, so if you're not going to be any help at all, don't even bother embarking on the next ship. You can grab an assignment elsewhere except here, but if you are going to stay, I need to know if you are going to be on board with this. Either get in line or get out of the way, got it?"

Saren scowled, "Got it…sir."

Alec stepped forward so that he could face the turian directly in the eye, "I may not be a fan of what my kind did, but if I hear any more blatant disrespect from you, I will personally throw you out the fucking airlock." Alec's gaze could have melted a hole through the station, "Am…I…clear?"

Saren's eyes were as cold as ice, direct and to the point, "Perfectly, _captain_."

"Dismissed," Alec watched the turian skulk away. "Asshole," he said under his breath. He backed away slowly, still keeping Saren in his sights until he turned the corner and was gone. With a nod, he turned around and walked straight into a salarian wearing a lab coat. "Jesus!" he exclaimed.

"Apologies, captain," the salarian spoke quickly. "Didn't realize you were there. Too much on mind. Lots of duties, you understand, I take it?"

"Yeah, I think I do," Alec said, trying to calm himself down. "You must be Dr. Mordin Solus. The Council sent me your dossier a week ago."

"Yes, yes," the salarian nodded. "Made sure to retrofit area on board ship for lab and clinic. No telling what we could find on that planet of yours."

"I saw the upgrades, doctor. They look expensive but it seems like you are going to be running mostly biological tests on samples."

"Precisely," Mordin said. "Earth's ecology is a subject of fascination to me. I welcomed the opportunity when Council tapped me for assignment."

Alec gave a small frown, "You do realize that we're not going to be on Earth for long? Most likely you probably won't be leaving the ship at all."

"Not a problem, ordered special probes that allow me to collect samples from surface. Can adjust for this factor."

"Wait…probes? You're going to be careful where you send those, right? I mean, it would be a disaster if anyone saw one of them land…"

"Already taken into account, have been provided a map of least populated areas on planet. Will send probes there for samples."

Alec put a hand up to his chin, "And the dossier said you also had medical experience? What kind?"

"Basic. Covered in all major Council species. Expertise ranges from flesh wounds to abdominal contusions to loss of limbs. Have worked primarily with krogan but am capable of adjusting for human, quarian, and asari. All very similar builds, similar organ groups."

"Then it sounds like we have the man for the job," Alec said as he offered a hand to the salarian, who immediately grasped it and firmly shook. "If there's nothing else, the ship is open to you."

"Much appreciated, captain," Mordin said as he made for the gate. "Eager to get underway, will start preparing lab now."

Watching the salarian disappear up the ramp, he was pleased to see Tali coming in the opposite direction, towards him. She stopped next to him, her eyes glowing behind her smoky visor.

"Are we ready?" she asked. "Are _you_ ready?"

Alec let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, "Yeah…I guess I am."

"You're not nervous?"

"Tali, I haven't seen my home in almost thirty years. Everything's going to be different and…I don't know what will happen over there."

Tali raised a hand to meet his cheek, "We will face it together. We always have and always will."

He laughed, "It will be worth it to see their faces when they're expecting an alien and they're going to see…me."

"Kind of ironic, isn't it?"

They both started walking toward the door on the other side of the dark threshold, "Baby, we live in strange times."

* * *

Ten minutes later, with a hiss of atmosphere, the clamps and hoses connecting the _Alamo_ to the Citadel disengaged and extracted themselves, leaving the intricate and glossy ship to drift free in the empty void. With a roar of thrusters, the ship began inching itself further out into the blackness, whereupon it united with a mass of twenty vessels, comprised of different races and origins.

Assuming its place at the head of the pack, and with a purple glow, all of the ships pushed forward towards the relay at the end of the violet nebula. The relay touched each ship with a spark of energy and twenty-one separate flashes were seen as each ship winked out of the area it had previously occupied seconds before, journeying to unknown territories.

* * *

_**Note: If this story is seeming a bit slow to you, do not fret. This is merely a prelude to what is yet to come.**_

_**In light of the pacing, I updated my schedule to combine a few chapters that I had planned so that it will be a little more streamlined for the audience without sacrificing any story. The chapters will only get more interesting from here.**_


	5. Chapter 4: Alien Tension

Most foreign bodies in the Local System were discovered by amateur astrologists. Over the years, they have been very efficient at finding and categorizing a range of objects from comets to asteroids.

If they happened to look a few degrees to the left of the moon on the night of October the 5th, 2048, they would have noticed twenty-one uniquely shaped bodies positioned just beyond the threshold. This would clearly give those souls on that lonely blue marble a new source of confusion as they would inevitably try to discern what exactly it was they were looking at.

Fortunately, finding said objects relies mostly on a combination of knowledge and luck. This time, luck was working against them as the spotters on the East Coast were currently being treated to an early morning dosage of fog. That and the fact that it was three in the morning did not exactly promote such foolish endeavors.

This was a good thing for the passengers in another object that had originated from the lead, a smaller shuttle, floating its way down towards one of the bright spots on the continent of North America. Everyone knew the stakes, they wanted to be as low-key as possible. The less people that knew of their arrival, the better.

Alec sat down on one of two benches that the Kodiak shuttle had. Next to him sat Tali and then Liara. Taking up the opposite bench were Garrus and Wrex, both heavily armored. Alec was also equipped in his Terminus armor as he flexed his gloved hand unconsciously.

He glanced over at Tali, nervously, who looked back up at him, "You…should put your helmet on, Tali." His words were gently but he did not attempt to hide the sadness, "You don't know if you might get an infection."

Tali slowly nodded, "I might not, but my immune system is still too underdeveloped for me to be absolutely certain."

"Also, I don't want any of them to see your face," he was now speaking quietly to her.

She pulled the dull gold of her helmet over her hair and readied her visor, "Becoming a little possessive, no?"

Alec shook his head, "They don't deserve to see how beautiful you are."

"That was the cheesiest thing I ever heard," but she leaned forward to give Alec a kiss, who responded gently. "Don't worry, you'll see me again soon."

Alec smiled sadly, "I'm seeing you right now." He lifted the visor to the seals on her helmet and heard a faint _click_ as the clasps locked into place. She pulled her hood over her head and adjusted her scarf so that it draped around her gold choker. Alec felt a pang in his heart, he had seen her with her visor covering her face before. Hell, she was wearing it the first time he had ever laid eyes on her and even then she was more than a mask to him. But the fact that she had to hide behind it once again caused something animal to well up inside of him, something feral.

Alec patted the side of her helmet in reassurance, to which she gave a light touch on his hand. He felt the brushed metal in his palm, it felt cold. There was a stab of impatience now, what was going on with him?

He stood up, trying not to crack his head on the low ceiling. Alec stalked over to the cockpit, where a geth pilot was maneuvering the shuttle. "Status?" he asked.

"ETA to target area ten point three minutes," the geth replied immediately.

Alec nodded and then turned to Garrus, "You sure the Council made sure to broadcast the details of our landing before we left?"

The turian shrugged, "That's what they said. Although it's not like they're not going to notice, from where the coordinates are having us go. Where exactly are we landing?"

"An area outside of the capital city to the country of the United States, Washington D.C."

"That's kind of an odd name for a capital," Garrus remarked dryly. "What does the 'D.C.' stand for?"

"District of Columbia, but we technically aren't landing there, per se. We're going to an area in the state of Maryland that houses one of the nation's primary intelligence agencies, the National Security Agency."

"Rather odd," Liara said. "Considering that this affair is not technically 'national.'"

Alec shrugged, "It will take place within the nation's borders and the NSA wants to keep tabs on anything that could pose a threat both foreign and domestic."

"So, what?" Wrex said. "We're just going to land on top of a building and hope no one spots us?"

"From the provided coordinates, we will be landing on the westerly campus of the NSA. It's well covered by a tree line and civilians are not allowed on site. Besides, it's late and it's foggy so no one will be able to tell that we're flying a ship."

"Perfect flying conditions," Garrus groused.

Alec clapped his hands, "Okay people, listen up. I don't exactly know what we're going to find down there but I want everyone to try and stay as calm as possible." He eyed Wrex as he said this. "I want pistols to be visible but locked in the 'safe' position. I don't want any accidental incidents with these things for however long this meeting is going to take."

Alec waited a beat for that to sink in, "Also, I don't want anyone to talk at all. In fact, I don't want your translator programs on your end to be online. I'll let you know when you can reactivate them but I want to use every card at my disposal against these guys."

"What exactly is the point?" Tali asked. "So you can startle them when they least expect it?"

"That's the plan," Alec grinned. "Also, they won't know a human is in their midst until the opportune moment." With that said, he flicked the switch near the collar of his armor and his helmet burst through the slots embedded along his chest and back to assemble around his head. The task complete, he now looked like an incredibly intimidating warrior. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Wait, Alec," Garrus said as the human across from him switched off his translator program. "If we will be speaking our languages, how will you understand us?"

A grating laugh emanated from the helmet, "_Ik vatk Garrus? Jyk ta'am luk saan?_" What's wrong, Garrus? No faith in your human?

Garrus' mandibles twitched at the pronunciation of his language, "Well…crap."

Alec laughed before switching back to English, "Just don't talk until I give the signal. Then we can give them all heart attacks."

Tali laughed, "_Bas te'la ade redeva threy ry_." You always did have a flair for the dramatic.

He reached down to pat her knee, "_Ihrn malv quiy haas te le'voi_." It's all part of my charm.

Tali jerked a thumb towards Alec, shaking her head, while looking at Garrus, who shrugged.

The transport was nearing the ground now, from what Alec could tell based on the proximity of the street lamps. The craft was decelerating, it was traveling at the speed of a light Earth aircraft now. Up ahead, he could see the campus of a few office buildings that stuck out above the foggy trees. He nodded to the group as they passed them by, heading toward a circle in the middle of the parking lot that had been lined by flares. With its usual carefulness, the geth set the shuttle down perfectly in the middle, but kept the thrusters online. It had been ordered to return to the _Alamo_ once its passengers had departed.

Alec lined up near the hatch release button, mentally preparing himself for what he was about to do. As the group stood up in preparation to follow, he ran a finger across his neck, the universal sign for "shut up." He closed his eyes and took a breath. He had not been here in so long he had forgotten what his own planet looked like. He forgot that he had loved it once. He would very much like to appreciate that feeling once again.

He punched the control and the hatch slid away, sending in the damp, misty air of the night. Alec's foot crunched as it set down on the gravel pavement. It was hardly a yielding substance but to Alec it might as well have been a pillow. He sighed in appreciation as he mentally noted that he had come full circle. He had come now, as a stranger from a strange land.

He opened his eyes as he heard the briefest of noises, a crunch of feet on ground, the nervous chatter of men. Humans in sharp looking suits were beckoning them to come forward, which they gradually did after getting over their initial discomfort of being on another planet.

From what Alec could tell, Liara and Garrus were taking in everything with awe, their eyes shining and wide. Wrex looked bored but his gaze occasionally flickered to a human now and then as they tried to move around him. Tali, though, was confidentially at his side, having lived on Earth before, already used to the procedure on how humans handle contact with aliens.

_Hopefully there isn't a young idiot watching the whole thing_, Alec thought with some amusement.

The men in the suits gave no indication of conversing with any of them, they just spread their arms and directed them to a waiting van a few feet away. Feet tramping on the damp ground, the five of them reached the vehicle and clambered in, with Wrex maybe flatting the vehicle's suspension when he gave his full weight on the back tires. The krogan let out a grumble, mostly consisting of the build quality of human vehicles, none of it good.

There was a brief jolt as the vehicle started and moved away. From the window, Alec could see the shuttle slowly increase its thrusters and lift off from the parking lot, flying over the towers before disappearing into the clouds. He smiled beneath the helmet, everything was going well so far. The van now passed over an overpass that spanned the nearby parkway. Alec mentally decided that the van was headed for the NSA's main campus across the way, where they would be set up for the duration of their stay.

His friends were all glancing at him, waiting for any indication. Alec turned his helmet to silently acknowledge each one. He put an arm around Tali and with his other he gave the thumbs up sign. All smiled at this. If Alec was in a good mood, then they were in a good mood.

* * *

The man sat in the room with his hands folded on the desk in front of him. He desperately craved a cigarette but knew he couldn't lest he set off the fire alarms in the building. The lights were currently off in the small office and the only source of illumination came from the lamps adorning the parking lot outside.

He had been sitting in the same position for almost an hour, contemplating in the dark, before an aide opened the door and told him that everything was ready. He waved the man away so that he could collect his thoughts before getting up. He gazed around the office which didn't even belong to him in the first place, hence why the nameplate at the front of the door and the desk were not corresponding with his own.

He sighed and rose off the plush chair, walking on the carpeted floor to open the door to the hallway. He blinked at the light that assaulted his eyes but quickly shook off his paralysis as he walked over to the elevator. He was surprised to see that it was already waiting for him and that it was already occupied, the person having kept it open.

Lieutenant General Palmquist nodded to the man as he entered, depressing the button for the bottommost floor, hundreds of feet below the surface. Palmquist was the director of the NSA, the man to whom the office had belonged to. He still maintained the military grade buzz cut and declined any attempt to hide the greying of his hair. His demeanor was still fairly sprung for his sixty-odd years he'd been walking.

"Everything is all ready," Palmquist said.

The man nodded, "Excellent, General. How many are there?"

"Five. All of different species."

The man glanced at that, "Not just quarians?"

Palmquist shook his head, "Not at all. We had known for years that there were other forms of life out there in the galaxy but we too were not expecting to see almost all of them at once."

The man adjusted his custom-made glasses, "Probably wanted to bring a little more diversity to the table, shake us up."

"Most likely, Mr. Speaker."

"Tell me about them."

Palmquist considered for a moment, "One of them is blue-skinned, very human-like, apart from the fact that the skin seems to be comprised of smooth scales and lacks hair in exchange for some wavy ridges. Female in appearance." He let that sink in before continuing, "Another is wearing some large armor but the face looks like a combination of a reptile and a raptor. He's got a blue eyepiece like that Google Glass crap back in the twenties."

"Quite the motley crew they've assembled."

"That's not even all of it. There is a quarian present, and there is one huge son of a bitch that looks like a turtle crawled out of Three Mile Island and ate a dinosaur."

The man laughed, "You think he's going to be a problem, General?"

Palmquist stopped, "I have no idea what we're dealing with here, Mr. Speaker. Quite simply, this could get ugly real fast if we don't tread lightly. And I also neglected to mention the fact that they were all armed."

"A necessary precaution, perhaps. I doubt they could forget what happened when they tried making contact back in Connecticut." The man paused, "What of the fifth being?"

"We don't know," the general shrugged. "He's bigger than the average human, which means the fucker can do some damage. He's completely armored from head to toe in some sort of blackish-red shit that looks more versatile than what we currently have in production. We have no clue what kind of race he is."

"Have they said a word since they've landed?"

"No," Palmquist said. "They've been silent the whole trip and let our staff lead them to the interrogation room."

The Speaker laughed, "The 'interrogation room.' It sounds like they're criminals waiting to be tortured from that perspective."

"But it's a perspective that might prove to be insightful nonetheless."

The spectacled man noted the hidden reference, "I've reviewed your contingency plans of action and I want to reiterate that I'm taking them rather seriously."

"I just want to be careful, Mr. Speaker. If this goes south I want to keep our options open."

"In the interest of this country, general? It's a noble effort and all but I would rather speak to them and determine for myself which direction we should proceed in."

A few seconds later, the doors opened and both Palmquist and the broad-shouldered man walked out and down the dim hallway. There were at least three security checkpoints that they had to pass through, each one earning a annoyed glance from the men as they were delayed to check for illegal items, despite their rank. Passing through the final metal detector, a nearby guard opened the door and both men entered.

The room was a mini amphitheater, only containing a few rows so that people could see down below. The bottom area of the room was large, and lit only by a single lamp that hovered around a large table. On one side of the table sat their three "guests." The one the general mentioned was armored to the teeth had taken the middlemost chair and was flanked by a quarian and the one that looked like a bird of prey. It took a lot to unnerve the man in this day and age but the sight in front of him made his breath catch in his chest. He started to become aware that his heart was beating faster than normal, an unusual feat, considering his talent to be quite cool under pressure.

There was a single chair sitting across from the five visitors which the man took quickly as Palmquist sat in one of the aisles, hiding in the dimness of the room. The armored figure had both his hands flat on the table, in a gesture of cautiousness. This was to relay the fact that he was not being aggressive, merely curious. The figure cocked his head in appraisal, most likely memorizing each of the man's features. The helmet turned to the quarian as a strange and unfamiliar language flowed from the voice modulator to her. The quarian, (he could definitely tell it was a "her") leaned over and spoke the same exotic language to the armored figure. Both shared a laugh and the man wondered for a second if he had just been insulted.

Before he could open his mouth to issue a reluctant greeting, the figure's helmet swung back in his direction and replied in a grating voice, "Did you ever get your bike back?"

The man froze. The figure was speaking English. This was not exactly new news to him as he knew that the quarians on Earth had the technology for them to be able to speak Earth's languages. But this one seemed to make the switch naturally, as if he had been speaking both all his life. But, it was the content of the question that had stunned him.

"What…are you talking about?"

A chuckle came from behind the helmet, "Your motorcycle. A bright red Ducati 1198. I remember it because I always felt guilty of leaving it behind. Guilty because I technically promised to return it to you and I didn't…_Anthony_."

The man's brow furrowed, "How…do you know my name? Did they tell you outside?"

The helmet moved from side to side, "No one spoke to us. But I do recall one young and brash young man saying that he was going to be the next big thing in politics when we were growing up. All those wild ideas and that big mouth of yours. Perfect traits for a politician in the making. And here you are, Anthony Wyatt, Speaker of the House. Only two positions below from becoming President of the United States of America." The figure moved an armored hand up to depress a switch on the collarbone. The helmet broke into several pieces and filed away neatly in slots in the chestplate of the armor. "I suppose congratulations are in order, what do you say?"

The face that was now peering at him from underneath that helmet caused every fiber in his body to freeze. He hadn't seen this man for years, a man he'd believed dead, a man he had considered to be one of his closest friends…now sitting across from him with quite the different crowd.

"It…it isn't possible," Anthony breathed, standing up in shock. "_Alec_?"

The armored man gestured to the seat, face giving a hardened look "Sit down, Anthony. We undoubtedly have much to discuss."

Anthony's limbs were starting to shake. He mentally wished again for a cigarette. "How…" he managed. "How can you be here? What is this?"

Alec's face dipped into a frown, "What could be so hard to believe? I admit, I'm probably just as surprised to see you here, of all places, sitting in front of me. Right back in the thick of things for the second time, huh?"

"The…the news reports said you had _died_."

Alec lifted an eyebrow, "I wasn't aware of that. Then again, I couldn't have been aware of anything going on after I left Earth."

"What happened? Where did you go?"

Alec held up a hand, "That's a conversation we can hold later. Unfortunately we have to skip the reunion and march straight onto the brief introductions as my crew is rather tired from their journey."

Anthony swept his gaze across the room, "Your…_your_ crew?"

"You're currently addressing a captain of the Citadel Expeditionary Force, the 27th Light Fleet." Relishing Anthony's awed expression, Alec pointed to each of the members at the table, "That right there, the blue one – the asari – is Liara T'Soni. She is an archeologist and an occasional information broker. The one on the other end is Urdnot Wrex, a krogan. He's the clan chief of Urdnot, the most powerful on his home planet, Tuchanka."

Alec was grinning like a kid by the time he pointed to the person seated next to him, "Garrus Vakarian, a turian, is a black ops soldier for the majority ruling body in the galaxy, the Citadel Council. And this-," he gently laid a hand across the quarian's shoulders. "-Is Tali'Zorah. My wife."

In retrospect, it would have probably been rather fortuitous if Anthony had not been smoking because when that little bit of information fell on his lap, he would have swallowed whatever was in his mouth at the time. Anthony heard a slight thump in the back of the room as Palmquist's legs felt off the chair they were resting on.

Alec gave a wicked little smile. Despite the shock at his marital status, he was quite enjoying the reaction he was getting out of Anthony. He wished he could see the other people that were undoubtedly watching this from the tiny cameras situated in the room. Why not keep them on their toes?

However, he was getting rather bored with surprising the hell out of these people. Truth be told, he was rather tired and this constant barrage of interruptions with one new discovery after another was irritating him. He stood up to push aside the chair, clearing his throat, "All right, Anthony. We can continue this conversation later but right now I need to make sure my crew is properly cared for. I can assume that we have proper amenities at our disposal?"

"Uh, yes…we do," Anthony stammered. "But…there's a lot to go over. Some of the ambassadors were waiting to talk tonight with you…get an official word from their countries."

Alec frowned, "Were we supposed to enter negotiations immediately when we landed?"

"Negotiations?" Anthony said, confused. "No…no. Those are scheduled for tomorrow but there's so much to talk about…"

"Like I said," Alec firmly stated. "We can continue this later in the morning." He marched over to a side door where an MP was waiting. With a series of loud clicks, his helmet once again extended from his armor to encase his face. The rest of the aliens with Alec did not look at all confused but merely complacent. As soon as they had left, Anthony stalked up the steps to where Palmquist was sitting and smirking.

Anthony wiped his forehead, "This changes the situation drastically."

Palmquist snorted, "_Wife_, huh. Man's flipped so badly he can't tell up from down anymore. If anything, this makes our decision all the more _easier_."

* * *

The elevator ride was dull and monotonous as the ones on the Citadel. Only this time it was a little more cramped and awkward than the station's. Alec glanced upward to spot that the little box had stopped on the number "4." The doors opened to reveal a rather plain looking hallway and a series of doors.

In front of the group, a door opened and a slim woman with Asian features started to step out, but not before glancing at the assortment of beings and uttering a small gasp as they passed. Through his helmet, Alec could see that the woman had her hair in a tight bun but she looked more fascinated than afraid. He was curious at her reaction, there was something about her that wasn't quite right. He shook his head as they continued, he must be getting a little too paranoid.

The MP led them to five doors at the end of the hallway. He pointed to each member of the group and designated the appropriate rooms to be used as living quarters. The MP then pointed to Tali and Alec and both moved in the direction of the same door.

"Sorry sir," the MP bristled as he addressed Alec. "Only one per room. Orders."

"_Orders_?" Alec said in a mocking tone. "Whose?"

The MP gulped, "Standard protocol is to house extraterrestrial beings individually for the purpose of-"

"_Isolation_," Alec hissed. "If you are even thinking about isolating me from my wife I will guarantee that in the next ten seconds you will not leave this hallway until I have drained every single drop of blood from your body." He eyed the corporal who was now particularly wide-eyed, "I'm staying in this room with her and you can't stop me. No one can."

Without waiting for a protest, he shouldered open the door, held it open for Tali, then slammed it in the MP's face. Seething with rage, he yanked off his helmet so that he could properly ventilate after his outburst.

He was surprised to note that the room was situated much like a hotel's. There was a single queen-sized bed with a dresser and a clock radio. A desk sat opposite the bed and a flat screen television set sat next to the desk. He also noted that the air conditioning unit had been slightly modified and upgraded. It was meant for sterilization purposes. The humans had only been expecting quarians, but Alec appreciated the fact that they remembered. A bathroom lay just behind the wall near the bed and Alec admired just how familiar it felt.

"Unbelievable," Alec groused. "Seeing Anthony again. I had no idea…"

"He did have a nice bike," Tali said. "It certainly helped us that night."

"I'll make sure to tell him that later on. I'm just stunned. I'm not sure how this will affect any future talks. I almost didn't recognize him at first."

"People change, Alec. I'm sure he was more stunned to see you there with us. You're the living proof that people can change in ways so radically that you can't even recognize them anymore."

"And what about me?" Alec asked. "Can you recognize me?"

Tali's posture stiffened as she whispered, "You _know_ I do."

Alec gave a nod, "Then that's about the only thing that matters in this case." He started peeling of the layers of his armor, setting them in a neat pile near the window. Tali sat down on the bed, which yielded to her weight as she watched her husband step out of his second skin and sit down beside her. Tali watched him and felt a pang of sadness for the ease that he'd demonstrated with removing his armor while she was locked up again, a prisoner of her own weakness.

"You know," Tali said after a bit. "You didn't need to threaten the guard."

Alec shrugged, "Possibly. But maybe I wanted to play the 'wife' card again, see how people react."

"Being a little exploitative now, are we?" There was a hint of amusement in the quarian's voice.

"Just taking every possible chance to show you off," Alec replied with a wink. "Can't let any of them think you're available, can we?"

"You _bosh'tet_," Tali teased. "But were you being serious?"

Alec fixed her with a determined gaze, "I told you a long time ago that I would never leave you, never let anyone ever get between us again."

"Oh, here we go with that again."

"It's an adage that's kept me sane this whole time."

Tali laughed, "At least you had me to help with the transition. I've come to the conclusion that humans and space don't mix well."

"Give us time, we're adaptable."

Tali smiled behind her visor, "That sounds like you're looking forward to your people joining you up there, with us."

"I'm just glad I'm down here, with _you_."

"Do you never stop being corny?"

"Being in a different place gives you a different perspective on things," Alec laughed. "I'm just glad to have someone I love by my side."

"You're talking about Garrus, right?"

Alec rolled his eyes as he grasped Tali around the waist and both flopped down so that they were on their sides on the bed. Alec's hand stroked her purple hood while hers ran through his thick, brown hair. Neither one moved, both enjoying the company and staring into each other's eyes. Their touches became longer as they slowly drew themselves closer, so that their bodies were touching, warmth conducting from one to the other.

Alec frowned as he realized something, "How soon until you can adapt to this room? I don't mean…you know…I just want to see…"

Tali lovingly stroked his cheek, "I know you do. I already started exposing myself by filtering the air through my helmet in small amounts. I won't get sick from this and it should be at least a day or two until you can see me again."

Alec hesitated a bit before nodding, "That's all I want right now, Tali. I just…even though we're here for something else…I…" He sighed, unable to find the right words. Tali reached out to grasp his head and pulled it to her chest so that it was nestled beneath the chin of her visor, holding him tightly as both started to feel sleep starting to catch up on them.

Tali yawned, "My father _did_ warn me that humans were always single-minded in their desires…"

* * *

_**I'm pleased to announce that as of today, the entirety of the For Her saga has accrued over 10,000 views. (Holy crap!)**_

_**I'm staggered to say the least so I thank you all for bearing with me on this journey. We've still got more to go so don't give up on me yet!**_


	6. Chapter 5: Caught Up

Alec put his hand on the bathroom door as he exited, yawning as the waft of cool air hit his body. Truth be told, in some small way he actually missed the mechanical motions of turning a handle on a door instead of it always sliding open at your presence. There was something physical about the motion, the fact that you could control your own rate of entry and not have it predetermined.

He walked over to the side of the bed where his small pack was lying, trying carefully not to disturb the still figure of the quarian lying atop the bed. Reaching into it, he pulled out a leather jacket and slipped it over his shoulders. Once he got it fully on, he froze as he felt a brief chill. That was peculiar.

He walked over to the thermostat where it read seventy two degrees Fahrenheit. So, the temperature was at the normal range but why did he suddenly feel a draft? He slowly glanced over to the window, hidden behind a thick curtain. Taking careful steps forward, Alec walked over to the window to discover that it had been opened a tiny crack, allowing the cold Maryland air into the room.

Alec frowned as he slammed the window shut. There was a sucking noise and the outside world was silenced as the quiet from the room filled the void. He was now getting concerned. Why was this window opened in the first place? It wasn't opened when they came in and they certainly did not even have any reason to open it all the time they'd been here.

There was a faint rustle. Alec immediately swung his head to the left. What was that? A slight twitch of contact on fabric? Alec's blood rose to a boil all at once. He stood up, walked over to the mass of curtains and thrust an arm into its depths. Despite the fact that there was that nagging doubt that he was only overreacting, he was still surprised when his hand made contact with flesh, creating a yelp that definitely did not belong to anyone he knew.

Swinging his arm around, the mass burst from the curtains to crash against the side of the bed, causing Tali to sit up in alarm. The figure tried to sit up but Alec grabbed her bodily by the neck and slammed her down on the bed in what would have been a paralyzing move if there was nothing to cushion it.

Alec, teeth clenched in anger, pulled off the hood that was covering the person and was surprised when he actually recognized the face. The face that stared up at him was human, dark eyes, and hair tied in a knot. He realized that she was the Japanese woman he saw outside of his room last night.

"What…are…you…doing here?" Alec seethed through his mouth.

The woman immediately proceeded to speak rapidly in Japanese, causing Alec to exert pressure on her neck in frustration.

"Speak English!"

The woman coughed and raised her hands in surrender. Alec glanced at Tali and saw that she had grabbed her pistol, although it was hanging loosely by her side. She nodded and Alec released the woman, who proceeded to start coughing after being contained in a chokehold.

"Who are you?" Alec asked.

"Hinata…Hamori," the girl said, rubbing her neck. Alec grabbed a shoulder and forcibly put her on her back again.

"Almost certainly a lie," he growled as he proceeded to activate his omni-tool and hold it over her head, activating the scanning feature as it matched her identity with the correct database.

"You're human," the girl said.

"I've been getting that a lot."

"What are you doing with that…thing?"

"Running your files," Alec said.

The girl smiled, "You'll never find me that way."

Alec arched an eyebrow, "Oh no?" His omni-tool pinged and a slow smile spread across his features. "Well, Ms. Kasumi Goto, 'never' is a concept that usually applies when _I_ use it. Not the other way around."

Kasumi smiled, "And do you actually believe what it says?"

"Considering that it's an Interpol record and that it's somehow flagged as 'deleted,' I would say…yes. Yes, I do. But that doesn't really matter here, does it?"

Kasumi slowly shook her head, "No, I suppose not."

Alec nodded, "Good." He released her neck, "Now, tell me why you're here and I might not report you to the authorities."

Kasumi Goto stood. She was a short woman and was wearing some type of black clothing that seemed to flow yet it was also quite form fitting. If anything, it vaguely reminded him of a ninja.

"I'm part of the Japanese ambassador's inner circle. We were sent here for the meeting with the other-world lifeforms."

"So, you tried to get the jump on the other countries, then?"

Kasumi smiled, "We needed to know what we were dealing with."

Tali shook her head, "Are all humans this paranoid?"

"Worse, quarian," Kasumi smiled. "I just do what they tell me to do."

"I'm guessing that had something to do with that record I accessed. Arrested for thievery in Paris, 2047 in the Louvre. Tried to make off with _Madonna of the Rocks_. Quite the taste you've got there."

"What can I say?" Kasumi shrugged. "I'm a fan of the classics."

Alec gave a short smile, "That doesn't explain why you're here when there's nothing to exactly steal. Except if you wanted to make the switch to kidnapping, in which case, you failed miserably."

"The Japanese government bailed me out on the condition that I do community service for them. I chose to work with the ambassador. It was a nice, quiet lifestyle and he provides good company."

"Was he the one who had you spy on us, then?" Tali demanded.

"Nah, I just did this because I was interested in you guys."

"If you got caught that easily, Ms. Goto, then I'm afraid you've lost your touch," Alec mused.

"Or," she replied craftily. "Maybe I _wanted_ to get caught. Maybe I wanted to talk to you guys."

"This is sounding familiar," Tali said.

"But…I have to ask," Kasumi paused. "How come you, a human, is with an alien?"

Alec shrugged, there was no real harm in telling her but he still maintained some slight reservations, "Remember the Danbury Incident back in the twenties?"

Kasumi nodded at this, "I was only a kid back then but I remember."

"I went on the ship that left the scene. We stopped the people that were trying to kill the quarians there at that compound."

Kasumi whistled, "So…what? You never had a chance to come home since?"

"Something like that…and also because I didn't want to," he looked at Tali. "Probably because this planet brought me nothing but pain and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with this woman right here."

Kasumi scratched her head, "Huh, I've never heard of this kind of interspecies mating before. Is it physically possible?"

Tali nodded, rather vigorously, much to Alec's amusement, "Well…it might not count but we do have two kids…"

The girl's eyes widened as she looked at Alec, "Long story?"

"Long story. The point is, she was the only reason why I left Earth. I only needed that one reason."

"Well, most stories about relationships that I've heard don't really compare to yours."

"Uh-huh," Alec said, getting a little bored at the exchange. "Unfortunately, Ms. Goto, we have a busy day today and I think that it would be in your favor to leave before any of the MPs show up. Plus I wouldn't want your boss to worry."

"Like he's going to notice my absence anyway," she said in a huff.

"You'll get the rest of your answers tomorrow. I'm assuming you're going to leave the way you came?"

Kasumi smiled, "You bet. Although I haven't gotten _your_ names yet."

Alec smiled, "Something tells me you already know them."

"Well, _Alec_, I wouldn't be a very good thief if I didn't know the important facts." Kasumi walked over and opened the window a crack so that she was leaning against it, her back facing the open air. She flipped a quick salute to the quarian in acknowledgement, "Tali'Zorah, nice guy you've got there." Before she could utter a reply, the thief had performed a backflip out the window and then the morning was still.

"Keelah…" Tali managed. "You don't think she…"

"Ehh, I'm sure she's fine," Alec shrugged. "She was also particularly well informed. I'm betting that she knew I was a human even before setting eyes on me here." He made no motion to even glance out the window to make sure that the human was all right.

"You think that she was looking in the amphitheater last night?"

"Could be a possibility. Strange girl, though."

"I don't know," Tali tilted her head thoughtfully. "I kinda liked her."

"Oh no, that means you want to take her on the ship home with us."

"I did not say that! I only meant-"

A knock on the door interrupted their jabbing conversation. Alec cracked his neck as he made a face while approaching the door. On the other side stood a rigid MP, not the same one that he had threatened last night.

"Sir," the MP began. "The Speaker wishes to speak to you in the conference room."

Alec frowned as he glanced back at Tali, "And her?"

"He wished for this to be done in private, sir. She will be put with the rest of the guests in a comfortable area."

Alec was still glancing at Tali until she waved at him, giving him the go-ahead to leave. "Then let's get this over with."

* * *

Alec was led into a room after being escorted down a floor which contained only a long, wooden table. At one end sat Anthony, a cigar in his hand, unlit. The MP shut the door behind him as Alec cautiously walked to where his old friend sat.

"Alec!" the man smiled warmly. "Good to see you again, doughnut?" He gestured towards a plate of the confectionaries that were on the desk.

Surprised at his own hunger, Alec nodded, "Thanks, Anthony." He reached for a paper plate and scooped a few of the chocolate frosted ones onto it. "I do have to admit, I did miss Earth-like cuisine all those years I've been gone."

Anthony laughed, "I'll bet. What _did_ you eat over there?"

"Mostly seafood and greens. All healthy stuff and it was better in a nutritional sense than my habits here. Cheaper too."

"I can tell," Anthony nodded. "You look like you've actually put on some weight…muscle wise."

"I've lived in environments that contained a lower than average gravity than I'm used to so I had to create a work-out program to prevent me from losing too much muscle. The turian that accompanied me here today helped out on that and my metabolism meant that I could retain all the muscle that I gained."

Anthony leaned forward to grasp Alec's leather jacket, "Son of a bitch…don't tell me this is the same jacket that you wore back here? I know for a fact that there cannot be any leather shops elsewhere in this galaxy."

Alec smiled, "There aren't but there are a few chemical treatments that keep this thing still wearable. Plus I learned how to stitch in my spare time. This thing is still holding together well."

What Alec neglected to mention were the items that he had _added_ to the jacket. In the sleeves ran bare circuitry to support omni-tool functions in order to draw power for a blade or an overload function. In the back of the jacket he had inserted a tiny redundant shield generator. Compact, hardly noticeable, it provides enough protection to withstand a few bursts from a Revenant machine gun before collapsing. More effective than Kevlar in any situation.

"Where exactly do you live now?" Anthony asked with bated breath. "It's kind of odd asking you that question, of all people, but it still boggles my mind to know that you have been on other _planets_ all this time…"

"Currently I live on a planet called Rannoch," Alec noted the confusion in Anthony's eyes. "The quarian homeworld."

"And you and that quarian…you're living together?"

Alec shrugged, "That _is_ a staple of most marriages, Anthony."

"How did _that_ come to happen?"

"Do you have all day?" Alec asked jokingly.

Anthony leaned back in a position that signified that he had all the time he wanted. Starting to relax in his chair, Alec continued, "It actually happened sooner than you think. Remember that night we saw the ship?"

"I remember. I remember it being the craziest night I ever witnessed. Chasing after that thing on our bikes. You running off to get a closer look at the damn thing and us getting pinched by the feds. Good times."

"Kind of ironic now that you're here, huh?"

"You could say that."

Alec kept going, "Anyway, fast forward five years to when I was working at UTC. I recall you were off working in some sort of government program?"

"Internship as an aide. Worked closely with the Connecticut senator for a few years before I started making a name for myself. But you can figure out my story pretty easily, I want to hear more of yours."

"So, UTC was one of the companies that the quarians were choosing to implement their own people for the purposes of improving our technological scope. One of them was assigned to the Danbury site where I was working as a team leader and I met her that way."

"Did you two like hit it off or something?"

"Not right away. I actually talked to her for a little bit after you got drunk and Nicole had to drive you home, remember? Tali had actually been in that bar the whole time and we didn't notice."

"No shit?"

Alec shook his head, "So I walked over to her because the place was pretty much dead at that point and we struck up a conversation. The compound was closed at that point so I drove her to my house where she stayed the night."

"Is that…when…?"

Alec sighed, "No, you imbecile. We started to hang out a little more after breaking the ice. We didn't just 'get right to it' as you're implying. Turns out she was very interested in our science fiction movies, who knew? Bottom line, I liked hanging out with her, she liked hanging out with me."

"Then…how exactly did the Danbury Incident come to pass?"

Alec paused. He hated reliving the traumatic memory, no matter how much time had passed, "When…when we were traveling back from Hartford on a business assignment, we were ambushed and captured by a gang of anti-alien racists who wanted to bring harm to Tali. They…tortured us. Made us think that they were going to kill us."

Anthony leaned forward, his mouth agape, "What happened?"

Alec fixed him with a hard stare, "I killed my way out. I slit a guard's throat and shot more before finally escaping with Tali."

"Jesus _Christ_."

Alec nodded soberly, "After that, Tali asked me if I wanted to follow her in her ship back to wherever they came from. At that point, I realized, despite how different we were in appearance, that I loved her and wanted to go anywhere with her. So I accepted and we went to the compound to be picked up."

Alec blew out a breath, "But by that time, the thugs had laid siege to the compound, trying to kill as many quarians as possible before they left. That was why I borrowed your bike that night, Anthony. We needed it to get around the fact that they were expecting us to be using another form of transport. So we got there and shot a few more guys that were in our way to finally end up in space. Quite the tale, huh?"

"Quite," Anthony said slowly. "But what happened in between then? Surely there's more to this."

"There is," Alec said nonchalantly. "But it's so much that I don't really think it will register with you. Only that I became part of what's known as Citadel Security, the police force of a space station that houses the ruling government body in the galaxy, the Citadel Council."

"And you got married…to an alien?"

"Why is this such a shock to everyone every time this comes up?"

"I just…" Anthony tried to speak coherently. "I've never heard of anyone marrying someone from another _species_. Of course, in India, women can marry goats but _still_."

"You'll get over it," Alec said. "We also have two kids."

"Wait…you have _children_ too? I thought…from the military reports quarians have different amino acids than human, dextro. I thought it was impossible for a human to procreate with one."

"Technology is a wonderful thing, isn't it? We have a boy and a girl, Dayrl and Vaeri. My pride and joy."

Anthony was shaking his head in disbelief. The man's glasses were starting to slide down his nose. He pushed them up as he adjusted the tie on his suit, "It's so weird to hear you talking about topics like this when, and to think that one of our last conversations was what was playing in the movie theater one weekend…"

Alec regarded the man sitting across from him. The brashness in Anthony had faded, definitely. He was softer than he'd usually been and not as crude. He seemed like a completely different person to him but Alec reasoned that _he_ was the one who had changed the most out of the two.

Anthony twiddled his thumbs, lost in the sea of revelations that had most likely permeated his imagination forever. He raised his head, changing the subject, "You mentioned before that you were working for a Council, a ruling body. Who comprises this Council, exactly?"

"Currently it's represented by the quarians, turians, asari, and salarians. Four councilors for the four ruling races."

"Are there any more races out there besides those four?"

"Yes, you've seen that we've brought a krogan. There's also the vorcha, the hanar, the volus, the elcor, and a few more."

"How come they're not represented?"

Alec shrugged, "It's mostly due to the fact that species such as the krogan and the vorcha are primarily warmongering races and are exceedingly prone to violence. That type of behavior doesn't resonate with the Council that well so they're not included. Others are not part because they don't really have as big of a population to warrant obtaining a seat. The volus population in the galaxy is dwarfed immensely by the asari or turians, for example."

Anthony glanced over his shoulder cautiously, "And…what would it take to get humanity a seat?"

Alec snorted, "Not even in this lifetime, man. The Council has enough problems with humanity to reject any proposal from us for the next few hundred years, if we're lucky."

"That's not going to go over well with the ambassadors," Anthony frowned. "They're going to at least want some representation once I present this information."

"They'll be allowed a single ambassador," Alec assured. "But no Council seat. Trust me, too much has happened for them to extend _that_ offer that quickly. Besides, it takes a long time for any race to procure a Council seat so tell them not to worry."

"Hmm," Anthony mused. "That might not fly with them, Alec. These people are very adamant about their beliefs. They will insist that they get something out of this deal that gives them an equal voice in the galactic sense."

Alec considered reiterating to Anthony the specifics on why humanity was only being asked to be an ally of the Council now. He wanted to see his reaction when he reminded him the horrors humans had inflicted upon the Citadel twenty-one years ago. How could they be so forgetful about that? Did they honestly know why all aliens stopped all contact with them?

But the more he talked, the more he realized: Earth never knew what happened. Silas' interference had taken place all off-planet. There were no channels to relay back exactly what happened, there was no one to confirm anything with any leadership. No one knew anything.

Alec bit his tongue, this information could wait until tomorrow. If the ambassadors were going to play hardball then at least he had just the ace up his sleeve to deal with them.

"I'm…sure that they'll see reason," Alec said with a fake smile.

Anthony chomped down on his unlit cigar as he analyzed the man in the leather jacket, "So, tell me…why are you the one front and center for the whole show? Are you famous over there or something?"

"Not really," Alec lied. "I just have the Council's trust is all. That, plus the fact that they thought it would be easier to facilitate these talks if they had a human running it all."

"But then, if the Council trusted _you_ with such an important assignment, then why will they not trust us to be have a seat alongside them?"

It was getting hard for Alec to put up with this lateral questioning. He threw up his hands in resignation, "That's just how this is going to go, Anthony. I didn't make the rules on this so you're just going to have to accept them as it is."

Anthony leaned forward, "But what if we don't want that?"

Alec mimicked his movements, "You're just going to have accept it in the end. Whether you like it or not."

Both men sat still for a moment, their cold gazes boring into one another. None of them so much as twitched for they regarded the other very carefully, searching for a weakness, a tell. A crack in their armor that exposed a weak point for them to exploit. Sensing none, both men relaxed and struck back up their conversation that had more to do with comparing life in space than politics. That was fine by Alec, politics had always irritated him.

* * *

In the late evening, Alec finished his dinner in the NSA cafeteria alone as all of his friends had gone through earlier with their rations and what not. Alec hated being escorted to his room, it made him feel like a prisoner in his own country. He was treated better than a prisoner at least as most of the soldiers and personnel stationed here always gave him looks that betrayed their fear. Humans were always afraid of what they didn't understand. They were afraid of change.

In the hallway to their rooms, he noticed a familiar face about to enter one up ahead.

"Garrus!" he called, making the turian pause, along with his escort.

Garrus walked over to meet Alec halfway to give a friendly shake of the hand in greeting and in somewhat assurance. "Hey, Alec. You all finished with them today?"

Alec breathed out, "Yeah, I was talking to the Speaker of the House, you know Anthony, my friend. We conversed for a bit and had me make a few official statements after we reintroduced ourselves. I had to sit in a room for a few hours and wait as they asked me simple questions about life in the galaxy."

Garrus snorted, "Sounds rather boring."

"You have no idea," Alec now glanced to the guards that were flanking the two, curling a lip in disgust. "What are you standing around for? We're at our destination, we're not going anywhere."

The two MPs looked at each other nervously as if they wanted to justify their staying here or risk the wrath of their superiors. Unfortunately for them it looked like they would risk the wrath of Alec sooner the longer they stood there, "Private conversation here! Fuck off!"

Watching their hasty retreat, Garrus laughed, "You certainly have a way with words."

"Be quiet," Alec growled. "Enough about that, what were you guys all doing today?"

The turian shrugged, "Mostly we wandered around the areas designated for us. We ate in the cafeteria with our rations and got a history lesson from one of the museums in the lower floor of the building."

"Anything like you were expecting?"

Garrus huffed, "_Hardly_. I had no idea your kind was so primitive almost two hundred years ago. That's quite a leap, speaking in the technological sense. Your ancestors rode those four legged creatures instead of traditional vehicles? That must have been quite inefficient."

"They're called horses, Garrus. And come on, don't tell me that it doesn't look fun. Cowboys and Indians, I always thought those times were the coolest."

The turian gaped at his friend, "Alec, I'm sorry to say, but you're a complete _dork_."

"At least I'm not such an _ikza_ all the time," Alec retorted with a smile.

"Who taught you that word?" Garrus said, startled.

Shrugging, Alec said, "I occasionally turn off my translator program sometimes. I caught you saying that word to me once and I looked up the translation."

"_Spirits_, I can't even curse at you in my own language anymore!" Garrus mourned.

"Tough luck, big guy," Alec slapped his friend's arm. "I'll see you in the morning. We've got a big day tomorrow."

"Oh, yeah. Who else is going to accompany you to make sure these idiots stay in line?"

"Just you and me. They're going to have a few officers talk to Liara, Wrex, and Tali while we handle the bulk of the conversing. Don't worry, Garrus. We can sort out these _bosh'tets_ in no time."

The turian merely rolled his eyes as he turned to leave, immediately stepping forward into his door and smacking his head against the wood. As Alec opened his own door up, he could hear Garrus wail, "And they don't even open automatically!"

* * *

Alec could hear a conversation going on as he closed the door to the room. He walked across the carpeted floor to see Tali on the bed talking via her omni-tool. She straightened up when she saw him enter.

"Oh, kids," she said into the holographic screen. "Guess who just walked in?"

Alec did not need to guess after that who she was talking to after that blurb. Sitting beside his wife, she turned her arm so that he could see the familiar faces of Dayrl and Vaeri staring back at him.

"Hey guys," Alec smiled. "How are things up there?"

"Boooooring," Vaeri groaned. "There's nothing to _do_ and Mordin keeps kicking us out of his lab when we just want to look."

"Let Mordin do his work in peace," Tali said firmly. "He has enough to think about without you two running amok on the ship."

Alec sighed, "What about you, Dayrl? How have you been doing?"

Dayrl smiled on the screen, "Fine dad, despite what Vaeri may claim. I've actually been helping the men in the engine room on working with the engines, making sure they all run smoothly so that's keeping me busy."

"He truly is his mother's son," Tali gushed.

"Keep dreaming, woman," Alec laughed. "And Vaeri, when you're not snooping around, what have you been up to?"

The girl shrugged. "Nothing much, except I was working in the main battery after watching one of the geth tinker with the guns."

"Oh, for god's…" Alec groaned. "Who gave you access to the battery?"

"I may have let myself in using that crack Liara gave me," Vaeri was trying to hide an expression of smugness. "I did however manage to calibrate the main gun to at least point five three percent better than it was originally."

Alec bit off any protest when he acknowledged the fact that he could not enforce his parenting any better when he was thousands of miles away, "Just…don't blow up the ship, all right? You have no idea how hard it was to get that."

"Mom said you fought a krogan for it?"

"Like I said, even if you don't believe your father, it was hard."

Tali unsuccessfully tried to hide her laughing, "Okay kids, your father looks like he's quite tired so we're going to let him rest for a bit. He's got to talk to the Earth representatives in the morning so I will call you later."

"Dad the politician," Dayrl said in an ostentatious tone. "Never thought I'd see the day."

"You're a funny one there, son," Alec growled. "Go to sleep, I'll talk to you soon."

Tali must have been smiling behind the helmet because when she disconnected the call, she started to rub her husband's shoulders, "Rough day?"

"Just long. Not sure what is going to happen tomorrow." He laid himself down fully on the bed, yawning simultaneously. "Truth be told, I have no clue on how to approach this anymore. It's all gone in such a different direction than I had…imagined."

"I have faith you'll find a way," Tali said as she adjusted her hood, turning briefly away to get herself ready for sleep. "You always find a-"

She looked back to see that Alec was situated in a fetal position, snoring loudly despite the fact that it was only eight at night, his day clothes were still on, and that all the lights in the room were on. Tali sat dumbstruck for a second as she incredulously looked at Alec's sleeping form, wondering how anyone could possibly knock themselves out that fast. She gently moved to pry Alec's shoes and jacket off so that he would be more comfortable for the duration of the night. Even comatose, he was still stubborn.

"_Oh_."


	7. Chapter 6: Hazy Euphoria

The Indian ambassador may have been speaking emphatically, from the heart, but to Alec it was just mere droning. It had all become a simple buzz after the first hour and when everyone in the room eventually got their turn to speak, it was like listening to a broken record. Everyone had the same thing to say and Alec could only give the one answer so many times.

The amphitheater was filled from top to bottom of representatives from all over the globe. Small desks had been set up in front of them to facilitate notes and to display their nation's flag. It didn't really matter, in the grand scheme of things because the countries had no real power. It was no longer an issue of nation against nation anymore. The whole planet was now one unity, but unfortunately, the inhabitants had yet to understand that.

It certainly wasn't making Alec's life any easier. Trying to maintain his composure and mentally screaming at himself not to just walk up the steps and clock the insufferable man on the head, he poured himself a glass of water instead from the pitcher on the table at the bottom of the room, keeping his gaze locked as the man's words failed to reach his ears. Underneath the table, Alec made a gesture to Garrus, who was sitting beside him, if he wanted a glass as well. The turian gave a subtle cock of the head before lowering it once in a nod. Water was the only constant in this room, it seemed. Alec poured another glass and pushed it to Garrus without a word.

"…and so, we feel, that in order to maintain the interests of the nation of India and her people, we must push for a seat on this Citadel Council if what you claim is true…"

Alec's hands shook as he fought for control to keep them from obnoxiously tapping on the table. His fingers were gloved, encased, as well as his entire body. He was wearing his Terminus armor again, minus the helmet, to demonstrate how a human could possibly consider himself apart from the rest on this planet. Garrus was also armored, his blue and grey armor standing in stark contrast to Alec's black and red. The turian's foot was moving up and down, evidently he was just as annoyed as Alec was.

Alec allowed his gaze to sweep across the room. Anthony was sitting down at the bottom, near the American representative. He had not said a word once the ambassadors had started talking, merely remaining in the shadows as a moderator.

He continued to look around in an attempt to clear his mind. He was starting to get a headache, if only he had the equivalent for Advil right about now. Through his frustrated haze, he managed to get a glimpse of the one face he recognized in the crowd. Sitting next to the Japanese ambassador, was Kasumi Goto. She gave a sad smile as their eyes locked across the room. Of all the people in this room, it was her that seemed the most human, ironically.

That damned man was still going! Alec could tolerate no more of this. This was the seventh person to speak so far and they had managed to waste five hours of his time while they constantly bickered and attempted to draw out the negotiating. They had the wrong mindset, this wasn't a negotiation anymore.

Alec raised a hand and the speaker slowly broke off, "I'm going to have to stop you right there, Ambassador Dharma. Because we have been in this room for hours and I am getting the feeling like we are getting absolutely nowhere. Is there anyone else in this room that has a request that is dissimilar from Ambassador Dharma's or the rest of the people who spoke today?"

No hands went up at the question, causing Alec to sigh explosively, "You people are extraordinary. I present to you lenient terms from the Council and all you can think about is representation?"

"Mr. Lee…" the Canadian ambassador began.

"_Captain_ Lee," Alec raised his voice. "It's captain. I'm extending all the courtesy I can muster to all of you people right now so do me the same and address me by my _fucking_ title."

The entire room was shushed at the outburst, everyone looked deathly afraid that the human in the scary armor would suddenly whip out a gun and kill everyone right now on a whim.

"The point I'm trying to make is simple," Alec said loudly. He didn't use a microphone as everyone in the room did, "It is the fact that you have already been given very lenient terms. You have free reign to explore most of the areas of the galaxy, unlimited access to any Council world, and hell, you can have a representative on the Citadel. A _single_ representative."

Alec paused to let that sink in, "I know everyone here is fond of the system of checks and balances, appointing several people to office to take different duties but the Council's motivations are clear. A single representative is allowed more power but is expected to use discretion. Any and all recommendations go through the Council where it will be put to a vote, plain and simple. This makes things easy like battling corruption as there is only one layer to remove. It also prevents ideas in the pipeline from becoming jammed and manipulated along the way. It's an effective system and it has lasted for hundreds of years. Longer than any of the governments in this room today."

"Captain Lee," the Canadian ambassador attempted again. "We are uncomfortable with this whole notion. Why must we adopt this system when we have used them effectively longer than you have been born?"

"Things change, ambassador," Alec said matter-of-factly. "You have no choice in the matter."

"What we should have a choice in," boomed the German ambassador. "Is whether or not we should receive a seat on the Council! That way we can enhance our own laws more effectively and introduce ourselves to the galaxy!"

Alec gave a disbelieving smirk, "You think it's going to be that easy? There are several races out there that have yet to earn a place on the Council. And suddenly you think you're going to get one because you think you're _entitled_ to it? I'm sure the krogan feel _they're_ entitled to a seat, or the volus, or the elcor, the list goes on, ladies and gentlemen. The races with Council seats hold entire fleets, multiple worlds, they represent an expansive part of the galaxy in which Earth is only a tiny speck. Compared to, say, the turians, their holdings dwarf the area of this planet a thousandfold."

The American ambassador cleared his throat, "And how exactly did the _turians_ gain their place on the Council? What is the template for such a thing?"

Garrus now straightened as he spoke, "Over a thousand years ago, my people were part of a war with the krogan, the Krogan Rebellions. We assisted the ruling Council races at the time, the asari and the salarians in creating and dispersing a genophage that severely reduced krogan sterility, effectively ending the Rebellions. My people's part in that war was cause enough for them to earn a seat on the Council."

The ambassador sputtered, "But…but there hasn't been anything like that on our scale! Surely one can procure a seat another way…"

"You can't, ambassador," Alec said grimly. "The only way you're going to get a seat on that podium is by humans proving to the galaxy their worth. At this point, that's a pretty tall order."

The American ambassador was fuming, "You forget your place, _Captain_ Lee. I should hardly remind you that you yourself are a human. Born from the same planet that you now spit upon. Why are you being difficult with us? We are not your enemies."

Alec cocked his head, "Are you really, ambassador?" He waited to see if a response could be elicited from the fat man sitting across from him before continuing, "Humanity left me out to dry, at the moment when it was most important to me. Now you expect me to come here, with open arms, and expect me to roll over and play nice? No, ambassadors, it isn't just me. I am the voice of the Citadel Council and I was tasked to give you these terms verbatim. Nothing altered in your favor, not one word."

The British ambassador stood from his desk, appalled, "You? Your friends left _us_ out to dry! Over twenty years! We had just embraced the notion of extraterrestrial life when suddenly they all disappeared from this world. To see you standing there with the gall to blame us is astounding when the fault clearly lies on _your_ shoulders!"

Alec stood so suddenly that the entire table shifted and the glasses of water tipped over and splashed the floor, causing Garrus to throw up his hands in frustration.

"Do…not…dare…to put this on me when you are not in full possession of the facts!" Alec growled. "Did you even wonder why…why everyone left this planet? Huh? Wonder why no aliens decided to contact you for over twenty years?" He looked at each one of them, watching their terrified faces, only Kasumi appeared to be intrigued. "I did not think so."

"We…" the American ambassador stuttered. "Had a few hypotheses on that…"

"_Hypotheses_?" Alec laughed. "I can do you one better."

Alec gestured to Garrus to stand beside him as he activated his omni-tool. Selecting a prerecorded broadcast dated 2026, Alec clicked on the file as it formed into a projection in the middle of the floor. The footage showed the interior of a large station, bigger than anything humans had ever built. The camera was currently lingering on what was happening on the balconies overlooking a pristine lake.

Humans wearing white body armor were gunning down civilians and security officers, anyone who got caught in the crossfire. They were merciless in their slaughter, some even going out of the way to make every death as painful as possible. A grenade caught a quarian in the middle, ripping it in half and smearing guts along the wall, a salarian was riddled with bullets and vomited green blood as its internal organs started shutting down, a volus was whimpering as a stray bullet nicked its protective suit, a sudden burst of blood and flesh spewing out as the volus' skin split open from the depressurization. The ambassadors watched the carnage in horror, their mouths gaping open in shock.

Alec, satisfied, ended the broadcast, ignoring the dull throb in his head, "This took place twenty-one years ago. It has been called the Assault on the Citadel by historians and will remain a black mark in humanity's ledger. That is why they left, ambassadors. Would the Council seriously risk the lives of its people after such a demonstration like that? Humans gunning down innocent civilians in their bloodlust? To them, we looked like animals and they judged at the time to leave us on our planet. To be cut off from the civilized galaxy until they had determined that we could integrate peacefully."

The British ambassador's mouth was hanging, "But…this is…we were never _told_…"

"Told of what? That humans had just committed an atrocity in a different solar system? Or that aliens would begin to leave the planet because of an intergalactic incident? Either way, it wouldn't have mattered because the Council wouldn't trust you again. They still don't trust you _now_, for that matter."

The Israeli ambassador raised a hand, her voice trembling, "But who? Who did this?"

"An ultra-religious sect that was convinced that aliens were the spawn of Satan or something along those lines. That was also the reason for the Danbury Incident five years prior. Both times people with crazy beliefs went and screwed up the biggest gift humanity has ever received. Shocked, ambassadors? Don't be. This is ancient history now." His pose, combined with his armor, made him look all the more menacing, "I was present for both events. I survived both events, I participated in both events. I fought my fellow humans because what they did was morally wrong. I fought them because they were…"

_About to kill someone I care deeply about_.

"…murdering everyone in sight. Do not look me in the eye and call me a liar when you have no proof, ambassadors. It only weakens your position."

"Even so," the Indian ambassador said. "A seat on the Council could prevent any-"

"STOP!" Alec yelled. "Do you not get it? There will be no Council seat for you. Not right away. Maybe in fifty years, maybe a hundred, maybe never. You had your shot and you blew it, it's only miraculous that you're getting another bite at the apple. You should be thankful that we're here at all." Alec's headache was now in full force, his head felt like it was about to split. "You have no bargaining power here, ladies and gentlemen. It was a mistake to allow you to foolishly state any concessions you had about this offer. Nothing is up for debate here. You can either accept, or walk away. You may even try to take a seat by force, like the krogan tried to, like the zealots tried to. But know this, I have a fleet of over twenty starships in orbit around this planet, each one providing capable warriors like Garrus here," he gestured at his friend. "I can rain down hell with a single word. I can personally ensure that no life will exist on this planet if you try my patience any more. People have tried in the past," Alec paused for dramatic effect.

"They all ended up dead."

Alec ignored Garrus' stiffened posture as he breathed furiously out of his nose. All of the faces he could discern were staring at him, each and every one utterly speechless. He needed a glass of water right now but he had knocked over the nearest pitcher earlier. There had to be some way of relieving this fucking _pain_.

Alec's voice amounted to a hushed tone as he spoke, "You have a decision to make, ambassadors. We're done here." Turning around, he pushed past the guards as he headed for the door, Garrus right behind.

* * *

After stomping off the elevator, Alec hurriedly walked straight down the hallway to his room. Shouldering the door open, he could hear Garrus yelp as he once again smacked into his own door. Once inside, Alec, hissing in anger, began tearing off pieces of his armor, throwing them in a pile in the side of the room. Tali wasn't there yet, she must be still occupied with her own talks.

Alec swore as he wretched a particularly difficult piece off his shoulder. He fumbled at the clasps as he desperately tried to extricate himself from his suit. Stumbling backwards, he kicked off his boots until he was finally free of the constricting form. It still was not good enough, he needed to get rid of this headache.

He practically ran over to the bathroom as his undershirt was torn off along the way. He turned the faucet knob and plunged his face into the sink, desperate for the cool feel of the liquid running down his throat. He left his face hanging in that position, drinking until he could barely stand. His knees gave out and he collapsed on the hard tile, water running down his chin and onto his chest.

The pounding was still present but the ache had subsided, although not completely. He groaned at the slight relief as he reclined his back against the wall, savoring the quiet of the moment after that disastrous encounter.

After some time, he crawled out of the bathroom back towards the bed. Noticing the flat screen for the first time, Alec found a remote and switched it on, hoping for something to take his mind off today.

Flipping past the channels, he became more frustrated with every movement of his thumb. There was a commentary about a civil war in Sierra Leone, a long haired Brit was now driving a car into a piano, a cartoonish sponge was talking in a high pitched voice, and a rerun of a basketball game was playing from the past spring.

Surfing through all of the available channels, Alec finally settled on the basketball game. Golden State Warriors against Dallas Mavericks. He recognized none of the players on the roster, each team had even updated their logos. This was at least mundane enough for him to lose a couple brain cells over. He sat himself down on the bed and relaxed as he watched the players fight over a bouncy ball in the middle of a court with thousands of people watching. Such a national pastime now seemed so strange, so different. What happened to him? How did he come to hate his own people so much?

The answers slipped away from him as his eyes shut, despite the obnoxious roaring of the crowd, but it only felt like he had been away for ten minutes when he felt something shaking his arm.

"Alec?"

Groggy, Alec opened his eyes and they immediately widened when he saw the time. He had apparently been asleep for almost five hours, yet he did not feel rested at all.

In compensation, the one person in the galaxy that he wanted to see at the moment was sitting right next to him, an arm gently gliding up and down his own with concern.

"T-Tali?" he yawned.

She gave a nod, an exaggerated one as she was still trapped within her enviro-suit. Any subtle movements would be swallowed up in the restrictive movements that the suit did allow to transpire. A pang of irritation flashed through Alec at this.

"How did it go?" Tali whispered. "What happened?"

Alec's headache had come back in force during his nap, there was that mindless, incessant pounding once again. He squeezed his eyes shut for a second, hoping the concentration would break the sensation, "It…it went…"

Tali's helmet tilted as she did not understand what was going through Alec's head. It was obvious that something was bothering him, she just couldn't tell what.

"What's wrong, Alec? What do-"

Alec, peering through his haze now, lifted his arms to meet Tali's helmet. Fingers scrambling, he brushed all over, searching for the clamps to her visor, heart pounding so hard he thought it would explode.

"What are you doing?" Tali recoiled.

"You've…been in this…_thing_…long enough," Alec grimaced, finally depressing the catches as a familiar _hiss_ of air was heard. "Enough time for you to adapt."

Cutting off any future word of protest, he tossed the mask aside as he savagely brought his head in to meet Tali's lips. She murmured in surprise but quickly relaxed her body posture as he kissed her with a hunger she never known before. The moments ticked by as Alec furiously continued, his tongue outlining Tali's pointed canines as his world turned red.

Their mashed lips opened simultaneously for both of them to allow their tongues some wiggle room, both running across the other as they experienced each other's familiar taste. It wasn't enough for Alec, though. He physically needed more.

His arms, wrapped around Tali, started to reach for the familiar zips and clasps that kept her bodysuit in place. She gave no indication to him that he should stop and he energetically worked, his movements quick and precise brought on by years of practice. As Tali started to get the top of her suit off, Alec immediately made for her boots, yanking each one off and throwing them next to his discarded armor on the floor.

Grabbing the legs of her suit, he gave a fierce pull and the whole thing gave, sliding out to reveal Tali's form to Alec. She was still in perfect shape, her body containing not a trace of fat on her. Her grey skin was still as smooth as a polished stone, unsullied by all the adventures they shared together. Her muscles were accentuated by her alien build, solid built atop a slim form. As close to perfection as anyone could ever dream.

Brought on by an unquenchable longing, he climbed over the bed, forcing her legs apart as he lowered his body between them. His face was at chest level and his hands gave each of her round breasts a firm squeeze. Noticing a quickening in her breathing, he lowered his head down between her breasts as he gave thick kisses to her body, using his tongue to occasionally trace a line on her skin.

She was sighing in pleasure, but Alec could tell that this was not enough for her. She was glad to be finally free of that damned suit, even she had only been in it for a few days, but she wanted to experience her normal range of sights, sounds, and touches again. Trapped in the suit, she was cut off from all that, and her husband was the only one who could ever overload them all at once.

Boiling from the persistent ache in his head, Alec gave a feral growl and grabbed Tali by her haunches, causing her to squeal softly as he lifted her up and carried her over to the desk. She shuddered as she sat down on top of the cold wood, her warm skin starting to get goose bumps from the perception.

Alec kicked the chair at the desk away as he lowered himself on his knees. Tali glanced down, knowing was about to occur and spread her legs slightly for easier access. Her hands were ruffling his hair as his head moved closer to her body. Once Alec's lips had made contact, she jolted as if she had just been shot, mouth open as she strongly reacted to his movements.

Still maintained in her sitting position, she continued to play with his hair as Alec continued his work fervently. Her eyes were tightly shut through ragged breaths, mouth still agape in a pleasured expression. Alec's hands were clutching her lower back, digging in a quick tempo as she rocked back and forth atop the desk. Her legs contracted, trapping him in his position, unwilling to give until he'd finished.

She could feel herself approaching the end. His pace was quicker than normal and she tilted her head back in the wake of his mouth on her. She moaned and Alec seemed to go even _faster_. She clutched his head and started to cry out. There was nothing that could hold her back at this point, she was committed. As she released, she started to pant as the nerves in her body did not seem to respond any more. She slumped in her position, completely wiped out.

Alec rose from the ground, hands groping at his belt buckle and snapping to the side as his pants came off a second later. Without giving her any time to react, he brought himself into her bubble again as he kissed her, a little more gently than last time, but there was still some animal behind the gesture.

To further drive that point home, she cried as she felt his presence inside her, wasting no time to allow her to come down from her high after the first orgasm. Alec gradually built up his speed through the now blackness that was starting to permeate his vision. He could see nothing beyond, just a wave of desire and lust. Concentrating on what he was doing, he started to drive his full force against the hapless quarian, causing the desk to bang loudly against the wall each time, creating a racket. He didn't care at how much noise they were causing at the moment, and nor did Tali. In fact, Tali was incapable of even sounding a coherent word outside of the occasional "_yes_" or Khellish equivalent.

The pleasurable friction and boldness of Alec's movements was overwhelming Tali. She had never seen this side of him before, never in her life. She could feel herself approaching her apex already and she let out yet another moan as her body climaxed.

Alec was surprised at how quickly he felt the rush of warmth from his partner. He had only just begun his work and she had already strongly reacted. He briefly considered stopping to let Tali rest but decided against it and kept pushing even harder. A snarl was coming from the back of his throat, bodily grunts escaping as he continued to thrust. His headache was now becoming unbearable, he needed to be done with this quickly.

Starting to yell, Alec grabbed Tali in a fierce embrace as he threw himself against her with all his might, again and again and _again_. She was starting to scream softly as she wrapped her arms around him so tightly he thought his ribs might break. He could finally feel the conclusion approaching and let out a roar, desk clamoring against the wall in a hellish cacophony of noise.

The blackness was constricting, contracting as he moved, slowly creeping. All of a sudden, it cleared as Alec saw a flash of white, as if a lightbulb had exploded within his head. He gasped as his mind was cleansed, the pain suddenly gone. Fully coming to his senses, he was now aware of where he was, and that there was a listless quarian wrapped around him. He lifted a hand up to her face but she didn't move. Alec bent down to look at her when he realized that she had fainted during his homestretch. Alec, surprised, patted the unconscious Tali as he started to discern his whereabouts.

He blinked. He finally took a look at himself mentally. He was standing next to a desk upon which was seated his lover, his wife, in the NSA headquarters on a potentially hostile planet. And he had just screwed her right in the middle of it all, without so much as a second thought. What had he been _thinking_?

Giving a huff of frustration, he gingerly scooped Tali up and laid her on the bed. He lowered himself beside her as she started to come to.

"What…what happened?" she asked in a daze.

Alec folded his arms across his chest as he sighed, "Something that shouldn't _have_ happened."

"What do you mean?" Tali said, now fully awake, confused.

"I mean, what I did was completely uncalled for. I should have exhibited more control."

Tali frowned, "Why, then? What compelled you to do this?"

Alec shut his eyes, "I just…I was so _frustrated_ with today. I was not thinking rationally when you showed up. I couldn't control myself."

Tali leaned over to kiss his shoulder, "You don't have to apologize for it."

"Yes," Alec hissed. "Yes I do. I selfishly risked your life tonight when I pulled that visor off you. How was I supposed to know that you were completely ready to do that? I had no idea and I never bothered to ask. You might think it turned out well for you but I am disgusted at myself for even putting you in such a position when the last thing I would ever want to do is _hurt_ you."

"But you didn't hurt me," Tali pleaded. "Please don't beat yourself up over this. It's over now and I'm fine. Probably even better than fine now," she added with a small laugh, unable to control her blushing.

Alec smiled in return, "I appreciate you trying to calm me down, Tali. But that still doesn't change the fact at my stupid reactions all over the squabbling of petty politicians in a cozy boardroom."

"What _did_ happen there?"

"They…" Alec grimaced. "They were not listening to anything we had to say. They kept pushing for a right to a Council seat when I repeatedly told them no."

"But…" Tali said, eyes wide with apprehension. "That's insane! No race has ever gained a seat on the Council so quickly, and…and for not contributing anything to the galaxy as a whole!"

"My words exactly, but they failed to understand…until I told them why you guys left them all those years ago."

"They never knew?"

"Apparently not," Alec nodded. "It stands to reason that their arrogance was tempered by my argument but I don't think that they'll ever let go of the Council issue that easily."

"What are you going to do?"

"I've already done it, I'm afraid."

"Done? Done what?"

Alec paused as he closed his eyes shut in regret, "I…threatened to use _force_ on them if…if they would not drop the issue and come to a consensus."

"You…_what_?"

"It was the only way, Tali," Alec said sadly. "I had to shock them into submission."

"You…idiot. Why would you do such a thing?" There was no humor in her voice, "Why in the name of the Ancestors would you threaten them with annihilation?"

"Because I was impatient!" Alec shouted. "I was annoyed, irritated, and _pissed_ that these morons could force themselves onto the scene after what humans did to us. I needed to shut them up and used the fleet as an excuse."

"But you were bluffing, right?" Tali asked. "Please, Alec…tell me you were bluffing."

Alec looked at Tali with a long face, saddened at his own thoughts, "We can't afford for them to run roughshod over us anymore. They needed to learn who is in control here. I just can't take that risk anymore. If it makes you feel any better, I never intended to-"

"But…they're your people! You can't just wipe them out because…" she paused as a thought came to her. "You don't even want them to be part of the Council, do you? You're trying to sabotage this entire thing so that you won't have to deal with it anymore!"

"Tali, please, listen…"

"I cannot believe you! You lied to me! You said that you believed that humanity was capable of earning their place and yet you are scheming to undermine everything they've tried to accomplish-"

"I did no such thing!" Alec said loudly. "And I don't even know why you're taking their side. They're not your people, they're _mine,_ so why stick up for them?"

Tears were starting to form around Tali's eyes, "That exactly the point, Alec. They're _my_ people too…"

Realizing his mistake, Alec reached for her, "Tali…I'm sorry, I completely-"

Tali abruptly stood, her hands covering her breasts as she folded them across her chest, "You…are an _asshole_, Alec." Starting to sob, she fled to the other room of the suite, closing the door behind her as she wept.

Alec sat on the bed, completely dumbfounded. He was not sure how he had come to have such bad luck today. First the talks with the ambassadors, now this. It was a literal day from hell in his case. He considered following Tali, but he reasoned that she did not want to talk to him at all, that she would do nothing but spitefully curse at him for his behavior, no matter how hard he tried to explain.

Perhaps things would be better in the morning, he mused. As he made to turn off the light, he shook his head in a gesture of self-depreciation.

"I can't even begin to tell you how much you _fucked_ up, Alec."

* * *

Both men entered the deserted conference room as they stole away from the main group. The lights were dimmed and both men took their seats to address one another.

"What do you think?" Speaker of the House Anthony Wyatt asked.

"What do I think?" Director of the NSA Palmquist replied. "I think that your friend just threatened us with an alien invasion, is what I think."

"I know Alec," Anthony defended. "He's never been the type to utilize force. I've been with this guy since high school."

"And were you with him for the last twenty-odd years?" Anthony did not respond at that, causing Palmquist to smirk. "People change, Mr. Speaker. And your friend? He's changed."

Anthony leaned forward, "What do you suggest we do?"

Palmquist tilted his head, "What I'd suggest that _you'd_ do is enact the Tertiary Protocol tomorrow."

"What is the significance of tomorrow?"

"From 1000 to 1700 hours tomorrow, both Air Force One and Two will be departing from the summit in Dubai, leaving you plenty of time to act how you see fit."

"And how do you think I should rectify the problem now? Ask them to nicely leave the planet? You know as well as I do that these talks are not going to get us, Earth, anywhere. No matter how hard we are going to pull, it's akin to shooting a BB gun at a moving freight train in an attempt to slow it down. We're not going to make a _fucking_ difference, now what do you suggest we do?"

Palmquist leaned back in his chair, "We could…always use the Gen Vs."

Anthony scrunched his face in confusion, "You told me the Gen Vs were not ready."

"That was two months ago, this is now. They are fully operational and await only a scramble order at a moment's notice."

Anthony let out a breath he didn't even realize he was holding, "This is a heavy burden, what you're putting on me."

"I'm giving you the option, Mr. Speaker. All you have to do is push the button."

"Even though there might be severe repercussion on the other side? Suppose they choose to attack in retaliation?"

Palmquist was talking in an excited whisper, "Were you not listening to what that traitor was saying? He said that when confronted with a rogue human force, they merely blockaded our planet. When humans killed the quarians in Danbury, they simply left. Why come to us now and break their blockade? Especially since our population has been growing at a steady pace which means that we might need to repopulate elsewhere in the next century, and also the fact that we have hit the national record for largest stockpile of munitions recorded for all time, both here and in other countries such as the United Kingdom, Russia, and Saudi Arabia. And they conveniently show up now, what does that tell you?"

Anthony's eyes widened, "They're _afraid_ of us."

"Exactly, Mr. Speaker."

Anthony turned in his chair. So many thoughts were rushing through his head. He was rattling off his options one at a time, thinking of the best possible option to what could resolve this conflict in the making. Having achieved that objective, he slowly faced Palmquist again.

"Okay…here's what we're going to do," Anthony swallowed before opening his mouth. "At 1100 hours you will initiate the Tertiary Protocol. With them in the dark I will be the one to give the executive order. It will be lost in the scramble so it will never get back to me, or anyone associated with me. I'll be safe and secure."

"You do know you can't take them _here _in the headquarters. You have to move them to another area, make it more feasible for-"

"I have a plan for that," Anthony grinned. "It'll be taken care of. For right now, just make sure that the order is followed to the letter, and I'm going to need your G5 access, for when the time comes."

"Of course, Mr. Speaker." Palmquist said as he stood. "I'll be sure to get that to you right away."

* * *

_**The intrigue only continues to build.**_

_**Don't go yet, the fun's about to begin!**_


	8. Chapter 7: Tourists

Alec grimaced as he choked down his limp food. The scrambled eggs were way too watery, the bacon was burnt, and the orange juice tasted like it was made from powder. He made a face as he swallowed the last lump, actually wishing he was back on the Citadel for that tasty calamari dish that his favorite asari place had to offer. It was certainly healthier than this gruel.

He had woken up in the morning to find that Tali had retrieved her suit while he was still asleep. He had looked all over the suite but it appeared that she had already left to go and fetch breakfast, most likely still upset over last night, not that he could blame her.

After taking a shower, he had put on his jacket, activating the redundant shield generator out of habit, and holstered his Predator pistol. Despite the regulations forbidding weapons in this building, he and his cohorts had been given a wide berth, most likely in a gesture of trust from their human hosts.

With nothing else to do, he took the elevator down to the cafeteria, hopeful that he could find one of his friends sitting at a table and share a conversation with them. He was disappointed when he was the only one in the expansive room; everyone had already eaten their rations ahead of him.

And now he sat, trying desperately to keep the rotten food down, musing over his massive mess that he had created the other night. Various conversation branches ran through his head on how to approach the situation, none of them offered any solace or any reassurance on how to make things right. All he could hope for now was that Tali could forgive him when she was in a mood to listen.

An officer was striding towards him now, heels clicking on the floor as his fast pace rapidly brought him to where Alec sat.

"Sir," the officer announced.

Alec waved a hand, "Spit it out, then."

The man took no notice of Alec's rudeness, "The Speaker of the House requests your presence in the loading area at once, sir."

Alec sat up, "Anthony? What for?"

"If you'll just follow me, sir," the officer intentioned. "He will debrief you."

_Debrief? What is this, fucking war games?_

More than a little wary, Alec shoved his tray to the side of the table as he stood to match the officer, "Then lead the way."

The officer then smartly turned to start walking at his normal pace, which was rather brisk, as they moved to the elevator at the end of the room. Alec was getting pretty sick of having to spend most of his life inside these damned boxes but he kept any snarky comments to himself. He wanted to know exactly what Anthony was up to and why he wanted to meet him in the loading area, of all places.

When the doors opened, he found himself standing in a rather more industrial looking area than the posh, carpeted floors that had been so immaculately cleaned on the floors above. A single armored vehicle was parked in front of an upward sloping ramp that led outside, flanked by eight armed guards that created a perimeter around the building. In front of the rear doors to the vehicle stood Anthony, smoking a cigar, taking advantage of the lack of smoke detectors in the area.

"What the hell is all this, Anthony?" Alec asked as he strode over to the vehicle.

The man shrugged, "The talks don't continue until tomorrow and I figured that you and your friends make the most of your downtime as long as you're staying here."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean is that your asari friend had been vocally stressing her desire to see more of the city, echoing similar requests from the krogan and the turian, so I figured that we give them the opportunity as long as we've hit this pause in our negotiations."

_Negotiations_. There was that word again. The word that Alec had repeatedly stressed was not the point of this meeting anymore. Had they not been listening?

Trying to dissipate his burning rage, Alec finally glanced over at the vehicle in question. It was colored white, six wheeled, all independent axis. Alec had recognized it from military shows as a BAE Caiman, one of the most durable tactical vehicles in the world. It was a design that was created in 2005 and, much like the Humvee, it had remained relatively unchanged through all of its decades of service, capable of handling enormous amounts of punishment.

Alec gestured to the Caiman, "Is that what we're going in?"

Anthony shrugged, "Despite the fact that you are going to the capital city of the nation, we like to take every precaution. Besides, this prevents any steely-eyed civilian from gazing upon you guys as you roll through the streets. They see a vehicle like this and they will assume it's normal military business and just turn their heads away. Nothing abnormal about that."

"So, that's it? This is all just a guided tour? A minor distraction while the opposite side prepares their next blunders?"

"I wouldn't say guided," Anthony corrected. "They'll have you. You're more familiar with the area than you are and I don't think we can trust anyone else to talk with your friends."

The way he intoned the word "friends" made Alec squint a little in suspicion. Nothing was making any sense. A trip to the capital? Now? What was the actual point? He tried to look for any tell in Anthony's eyes to see if there was anything deceiving behind the glaze of his glasses. He could find no such sign.

"Alec," Anthony sighed as he strode over to put an arm around his friend. "There's nothing to worry about here. Just relax today. After yesterday's show I would expect that you're a little burnt out."

"You could say that," Alec said with a weak laugh.

"Then take me up on this. Your friends are already inside the vehicle. They've been waiting for the past fifteen minutes. Just sit with them, talk to your heart's content, and see the sights. It's a beautiful city, Alec. It hasn't changed that much since you've been gone."

Alec nodded dimly, "I…always did like D.C…."

"Then _go_," Anthony intentioned. "Enjoy today. Be with your wife. I know that she would love it."

_You don't know anything_.

Alec looked straight forward, not acknowledging his former friend. His frown softened, "Well…since they've been waiting on me it would be rude to linger any longer. Especially since their minds have already been made up."

"That's it," Anthony grinned broadly, holding out his hand. "Let me know how it goes when you get back."

Not bothering to reply, Alec shook the offered hand and clambered up into the Caiman. Even though it had been converted for non-military personnel, it still was quite spartan. The seats were little more than benches with some tarp over them. The floor was hard steel and there were racks overhead the perfect height for someone to bang their head against.

Seated in four of the spaces were Garrus, Liara, Wrex (looking a little cramped), and Tali. All of their gazes turned to meet Alec as he stumbled about trying to find a seat. Ignoring Garrus' subtle shake of the head, he moved over to sit next to Tali who, as he sat down, slightly shifted away from him.

He didn't respond to that, despite the rush of shame he felt, and turned to address Garrus instead, "Wish someone would have told me ahead of time that this was the plan."

The turian shrugged, "Hey, you were completely out of it. Plus, Liara wouldn't shut up about seeing more than a conference room on your planet."

"That's only because _you_ wouldn't shut up about the vids that were offered in our rooms," Liara shot back. "You kept on complaining so loudly that I had to request _something_ to take my mind off your endless badgering."

"Because all that was on were human sports, and every single one featured them handling balls of some sort. What is the human fascination with balls anyway, Alec?" Garrus now looked at Alec with a mischievous glare.

Alec chuckled, "Shut up, Garrus. It's a national pastime so just get over yourself."

"Back on Palaven, our sports made actual _sense_ because we didn't feature any-"

"You turians," Wrex rumbled with a hint of amusement. "Always with you and your traditions. Hate to break it to you, Garrus, but I saw a sport on the vidscreen last night that would have piqued your interest. It featured two humans just beating on each other with gloves."

"_What_? They had that? That sounds so much better!"

"Although," the krogan groused. "It wasn't as entertaining as it sounds because no one died. Shame, a krogan fight like that would have lasted far longer and would have been bloodier."

Alec sighed, "Sorry to burst your bubble, Wrex, but us humans want these sports to be as safe as possible. It's really difficult for anyone to die in these games, despite the inherent violence."

"Ehh, it was watchable at least."

Tali shifted in her seat, uncomfortable at the conversation which had become uninteresting to her. Alec could tell that she was still monumentally upset, but didn't know if he should approach her or should she just warm up on her own time. She still loved him, though, right? Surely a little mix up such as this won't have dire consequences in the future, would it?

Before he could elicit a whisper, he felt the vibration as two soldiers clambered into the truck, both wearing combat greens as the mighty Caiman growled to life. Strapping themselves in (Liara having to reach over to help Wrex with his buckle) the vehicle sprung forward and tilted as it drove up the ramp, into the harsh sunlight.

* * *

Anthony pushed open the door to the office to find Lt. General Palmquist sitting at his desk, staring at something on his computer.

"They're away," Anthony grinned.

Palmquist looked up gravely, "And the birds?"

"Took off forty-five minutes ago. You have my permission to make the call when we're done here."

"I'll see to it, then," the general nodded. "What's the game plan?"

"Tracking device has been planted. It will be coordinated once it reaches an area of interest."

"Not with a lot of civilians, I hope?"

"That has been taken into consideration."

Palmquist motioned to his monitor as he tore his eyes away from it, "And what about this? Should we take this into consideration?"

Anthony stopped, "What are you talking about?"

There was a funny look in Palmquist's eyes as he simply turned the screen around to face Anthony in response.

It was a video file, high quality, and the contents of it made Anthony's mouth open slightly in surprise, astounded at the contents.

A man was situated on his knees, in front of a desk, but on that desk sat a woman. This woman was not an earthling by any stretch of the word for her skin was a cool grey, her the digits on her limbs did not match up, the proportions on her body were skinnier than a human's, and her hair was a luscious silver. It took Anthony a few seconds to realize that he was looking at an unmasked quarian, completely bare of her suit.

The man's back was to the camera as he buried his face between her legs as she sat atop the desk. The act, Anthony noted, appeared to have the same effect on the quarian as it did on regular humans but he couldn't help but lean forward to catch her reaction as her mouth opened in a gasp, obviously caught up in her pleasurable throngs. He watched a little more, seeing her body heave and writhe as she was obviously getting close, before Palmquist paused the video, with a satisfied smirk.

"Never seen one behind the masks before, let alone the suits, but I have to admit that she definitely is striking...for an alien."

Anthony fumbled with his hands as he pushed his glasses back up to his face, "Where…where did you get this?"

The man looked back, all bullshit aside, "How do you think? We bugged the rooms prior to their arrival."

"Is there any audio with this?"

Palmquist scoffed, "We're the NSA, of course we have audio. In fact, we have multiple angles of the entire encounter." Tapping a series of buttons, the camera view changed to view a profile and even an overhead shot. Nothing on the screen was covered, everything was all laid out in front of the two men, able to see everything.

"Good _Christ_," Anthony breathed.

"It's one thing to hear about such interspecies relations," the general agreed. "But it's completely another thing to see it."

"But…what can we do with this?"

Palmquist folded his hands on his desk, "This video could be made to strengthen our position. If…and I mean if, the plan succeeds, we have proof that the human that instigated this entire cock-up was having an affair with an alien. The media will go ballistic and spin the entire story for us." He sat back, a smug smile on his face.

Anthony gaped, "That could work, but you haven't seen the things on the internet people can do. A twelve year old could produce an animated movie now, provided they have access to a few Adobe suites. What good could you think this video do? You will get the conspiracy theorists in a neat line, ready to pick this video apart piece by piece when they try to determine its legitimacy."

"It's legitimate. No doubt about it."

"I'm not questioning _you_, I'm questioning if the people will react in the way you'd expect. I think you're putting too much stock in just this one smut shot that it could threaten to derail what it is we've built here."

"You mean…derail _you_?" Palmquist intoned. "We won't be able to block the facial recognition unless we blur the faces on screen. If we don't, there are still enough similarities between your friend, despite his absence, to stir up conversation. It might get back to you, it might not, but you're worried what this will do for your reputation."

Anthony gritted his teeth, "I…appreciate the gesture, Palmquist. But I don't think that we will need to utilize that as the right leverage."

"Admit it, it saddens you to see your former friend in this state."

"Yes," Anthony lowered his head. "I really do regret that he had to come to this. Even though he…appears happy."

"Happiness doesn't make it _right_, Mr. Speaker."

"Very true. Although we've wasted enough time as it is. Go to the comm array and let them know the change of plans. I have everyone ready to mobilize on my word."

Palmquist stood and made for the door, "Remember, Mr. Speaker, although it isn't my place to remind you. _Discretion_."

* * *

Cruising at a comfortable 35,000 feet, the modified Boeing 747-8 sliced through the atmosphere on its way back to its country of origin. The plane itself was configured by the military and featured every anti-attack combat suite developed, capable of evading surface-to-air missiles and even could withstand electronic interference.

Right now, the plane was somewhere over East Germany when a squawk in the pilot's headphones caused him to jump in his seat. He glanced around nervously, his copilot and navigators all looked at him and nodded. They had heard it too.

The distorted noise came again and the pilot fiddled with the knob to try and clear up the signal. He twisted it slowly to the right before the words came out clear as day.

"Pilot, adjust frequency to 367 MHz and standby for new orders."

The man complied, twisting the knob on his dashboard until the voice spoke once again.

"Air Force One, this is Raven's Nest, we have diverted all radio traffic to our location from Andrews and will now be handling any future exchanges, copy over."

"Roger, Raven's Nest," the pilot smoothly replied. "How copy, over."

"Air Force One, Tertiary Protocol is now in effect. Begin activation measures, over."

The pilot nodded to the man sitting next to him, who proceeded to unlock the center console, grabbing a thick file. The pilot took the offered file and opened it to the first page, where a confirmation code was given.

"Raven's Nest, awaiting confirmation code, over."

"Five-zero-foxtrot-lima-alpha, X-ray-charlie-six-niner, _the hands of many give power to the few_," the intercom rattled.

"Confirmation code accepted," the pilot replied. "Tertiary Protocol in effect, will now divert to stated area and will deactivate all tracking beacons and remain radio silent for the allotted time, over."

"Time to reactivation and radio contact is ninety-six hours. From that point on, no one on board is to respond back at base until that time has passed starting now, over."

"Solid copy, Raven's Nest," the pilot answered as he flicked a switch on his digital watch as the tiny numbers began to tumble. "Has Little Brother been contacted, over?"

"Air Force One, Air Force Two had been notified prior and has already begun its proceeding to its designated base. Reminder, no contact to be made between you for any reason, over."

The copilot was now removing a red sheet from the file. Tearing off a plastic strip, he showed the location of their designated destination.

"Air Force One copies, Raven's Nest. Proceeding to target now, out."

The pilot had faint beads of sweat on his forehead as he turned to one of the navigators, "Set course for Incirlik AFB and disable the trackers."

"That's in Turkey, right?" the navigator asked as he already was flicking switches.

"Right, so when that's done, I want you to enable the electronic jammers. No signals leave this plane until our allotted time is up. None."

Turning the yoke to the side, the blue and white airplane made a lazy half circle in the air before straightening out over the mountainous countryside. They were in the dark now, all alone.

* * *

The Caiman, despite its six enormous tires, was quite the uncomfortable experience. A hard bump sent everyone jolting in their seats, the hard buckles and the benches only making the experience all the more worse. Alec glared at the front to where the driver was laughing with his friend. Sure, they were all nice and cozy but what about their passengers? They were paid to drive them, not to break their spines.

Alec blew air out of his mouth in frustration but no one was really noticing. Everyone was all glued to their respective windows as the sights and sounds of Washington D.C. bustled by. Even Tali seemed to be enjoying herself at this time.

He wasn't looking out the window because he was still reflecting on the best approach to talk to his wife. Plus, he had been to this city several times over to the point where it no longer interested him. He could only watch and smile as his friends gaped in amazement.

Garrus seemed to be with him in that regard, "Liara, if your mouth could drop any farther we'd have to pick it up on the ground."

"It's just fantastic," she gasped. "I mean, it's so crowded here, with ground transportation being the only viable option and all."

Alec chuckled, "Well, things will change drastically once we get skycar technology here. Of course, the movies claimed that those would come around in 2015 and I have yet to see a hoverboard…"

Tali turned to Alec as he said that, noting the reference. He gave a glance at her glowing eyes and gave a small smile. She hesitated before taking her gaze back out the window. Alec drooped at the silent rebuke.

If the people outside could only imagine what the contents of the large vehicle held. For years, many people had only dreamed of seeing actual aliens before and now hundreds of them were mere feet away from several of them, and they didn't even know it.

"This is depressing," Wrex grumbled. "We've had more advanced technology than you humans for centuries and yet your world is as clean as the Citadel. I mean, we did kind of ruin ours with a nuclear war but even so…"

"Don't go there with your assumptions again, Wrex," Alec held up a hand. "Bear in mind, this is one city in one of the most civilized countries on the planet. There are areas where the living conditions are absolutely _horrid_. Take my word for it."

"Oh, it sounds like I'd fit right in," Wrex gave a toothy grin.

"Any particular destination, sir?" the driver called back from the front. Alec leaned over to glance out his own window. He recognized that they were approaching Columbus Circle, right next to the train station. He leaned back to call out.

"Take us on Constitution, we should check out the Mall."

"The Mall?" Tali spoke for the first time this journey.

"The National Mall, it has most of the country's famous landmarks."

"Goddess, I'm excited," Liara breathed.

The vehicle pushed forward through the mid-morning traffic as it passed by several official looking buildings. Alec recognized a few of the Smithsonian institutes and considered mentioning something to the group before Tali burst out.

"Keelah, what is that?"

Alec tilted to see what she was talking about, "Ah. That obelisk is the Washington Monument. It was named after our first president and is the tallest structure in the area. It's like that as a sign of respect."

"I had no idea that humans were so proficient in stone work," Liara mused.

"Liara," Tali said teasingly, sounding more and more normal. "You never really knew much about humans to begin with, and that's because Alec was incapable of telling you some of the finer points."

Alec threw up his hands jokingly, "What is this? Suddenly I'm being bombarded by you two. I'm not a walking codex entry, Liara. If you were ever going to learn more about humans, then coming to Earth was the only way you could accomplish that."

"But, wait," Garrus barged in. "Where does this 'President' of yours have an office?"

Alec pointed on the opposite side of the vehicle, "Right there. Ask and you shall receive."

"What do they call that building?" Liara asked.

"The White House."

"No, I'm being serious."

"So am I."

Liara's face held a look of absolute incredulity, "You're kidding, right?"

Alec shrugged, "We humans are very literal, I guess."

The asari shook her head, "Goddess…"

The driver brought his head back again, "Any other places of interest?"

"Loop back around on Independence and go north on 17th so we can see the memorial," Alec called.

"Memorial?" asked Tali.

"The World War II Memorial," Alec clarified.

The quarian gave a tiny gasp, "World…War?"

Alec nodded, "About a hundred years ago this country was involved in a war against the powers in Europe and Japan, spanning the seas of the planet. We fought with our allies in a brutal campaign against those where were doing atrocities to other people."

"What sort of atrocities?" Wrex leaned forward, interested. "And were their actions justified?"

"Not really, they were rounding up entire ethnic groups and executing them one by one. Millions were killed this way and we reacted too late as a nation to save all of them."

Wrex tilted his head, "Then what was the point of all that slaughter?"

"The leader of the other country believed his people to be superior to the ones he deemed 'unworthy.' To demonstrate this fact, he created his own cult and it grew into a national force, spreading across continents until other nations intervened. We eventually defeated them and won the war, but at a huge loss of life. We even used nuclear weapons for the first and only time in our history."

Garrus lowered his head, "But that didn't escalate in full blown nuclear conflict?"

"We were the only ones with the technology at the time. We used them as a last ditch effort to make our enemies surrender, which they did. But the world was so horrified at the scale of destruction that they caused that everyone vowed never to use another nuclear weapon again."

The truck was now passing by the monument, a series of fifty columns for the fifty states arranged around a pool. The group watched silently as the truck slowed down to give everyone enough time to see it.

"We're diverting to Virginia," the driver said. "Seems to be a little traffic on 17th now, I'll try to go around it."

Not answering, Alec leaned back as the rest of the group slowly turned away, sobered up by the history lesson. Alec closed his eyes and reflected on his friends' concerned faces. They truly were a good audience, one that cared. He was just so lucky to have-

He felt fingers force themselves into his right hand, giving a squeeze. Alec's eyes shot open as he glanced to find Tali looking at him. In genuine surprise, he glanced at her actions and gave a return squeeze. Her eyes, glowing behind the mask, seemed to be requesting something from him.

"Tali…about last night…I cannot tell you how sorry I-"

She shook her head, placing a finger on his lips. "No apologizing," she whispered. "I should be the one who is sorry for my behavior."

Alec shook his head indignantly, "That's not fair, Tali. There was no excuse for my-"

"You've already done enough apologizing last night. You're starting to repeat yourself now."

"Because I was upset. I _hated_ the fact that no one on this planet ever agrees with anything. I hate feeling so helpless in a position where I know I can make a difference this time."

"I understand now," Tali soothed. "Quarians think of everyone in their crew, in their life. They consider each and every soul your family. I…know that humans don't see it that way, even though I colored them with my own perceptions."

"It just isn't that simple for us when we have a planet of billions to take care of," Alec agreed.

The helmet dipped in a nod, "That's what I failed to understand before. Humans see the bigger picture better than quarians can. That also means that they hold closer the people we know, the people we _love_." She scooted closer so that their hips were touching, "You…you did what you thought was right because you just wanted to be protective. But you weren't thinking about the Council, were you?"

Alec shook his head, "No…just the one quarian in the world that matters to me."

She gave a faint giggle, "_Bosh'tet_, but you may have went overboard a little with your threat."

"I wholeheartedly admit that it was a mistake," Alec said. "I just wanted to expedite the process further, get it over with so that I could go back home, where it's safe."

"Next time," she whispered. "Maybe you should bring me along to keep you in line?"

Alec's hand brushed over her visor, "That would probably be the best course of action."

Her hands reached over to cup his head, "We'll be fine, Alec. I know this because I-"

"What the?" the driver in front suddenly exclaimed. "IED!"

Everyone in the back suddenly slid forward as the brakes on the Caiman engaged, locking up as the vehicle slowly skidded. There was a loud noise and a rush of smoke and dust as the entire front of the vehicle lifted and tipped over on its side.

There was screaming in the air as the bullets began to fly.


	9. Chapter 8: Limb from Limb

Everyone was coughing in the dusty air. To Alec, it looked like the entire world had been tilted on its side. The seats were not at normal angles compared to how gravity was acting, but he then realized that his position was correct. The entire Caiman had tilted.

Blinking his eyes, a ringing in his ears, he looked at the occupants in the vehicle. They, for the most part, appeared unhurt, although Liara had a cut on her forehead that was slowly oozing blood. Wrex looked pissed, as did Garrus, and Tali was busy brushing herself off, thankfully untouched.

"Everyone hurt?" Alec asked. "Everyone okay?"

"I…I think so," Tali managed.

"I'm still in one piece," said Liara.

"Think I might have cracked something," Garrus groaned.

Wrex gave a grunt in response, signaling that he was fine.

Alec was about to ask for more specifics when he could hear footsteps approaching the vehicle from behind the doors. The entire group turned at the source of the noise. A rescue party?

There was a light amount of tapping at the door for a few seconds and then the footsteps appeared to shuffle to the side. Alec sat up in confusion as a voice screamed outside, "Execute, execute, execute!"

The entire interior of the Caiman was now drowned in a flood of light and sound as the doors burst open, the planted charge sending smoke and air inside. Without even thinking, Alec reached for his Predator and fired blindly into the soot. A volley of reports told him that Garrus and Wrex had drawn their sidearms as well and were also joining him in repelling the assault. There were a few wet _smacks_ as their shots hit flesh and they heard four thumps as the bodies fell to the ground.

"Get out!" Alec yelled to the group, who complied at once. Once free of the cramped cabin, Alec took a look at their assailants. They were dressed in a black mesh with dusty beige accenting their uniforms. Their faces were covered by tactical masks and goggles, obscuring their eyes. The armor that they wore was bulletproof, both the vest and the helmet. The only other distinguishing feature about them was the patch on their right arms that bore the Roman numeral "V."

The sunlight of the day was shining down upon them. The cool air was racing by, sending a brief shiver up their spines. There was the smell of cordite in the air, the sounds of screeching tires and panicked civilians. They could see the people scurrying away from the street, frightened of the violent proceedings that were occurring.

Now that they were out in the open, a flutter of sharp pings raced by them as they realized that they were still being shot at. Everyone ducked and Alec immediately made for the nearest fallen weapon. The assault rifle was a modified HK416, with a red dot sight and a vertical foregrip. It had an extended Beta-C magazine that held at least a hundred bullets each. Alec appropriated the weapon, plus a service pistol, an HK45, into his holster.

"Grab whatever weapons you can find!" Alec shouted. "We don't have any spare thermal clips so we're going to run out of ammo fast if we don't scrounge around."

Alec tilted his head around the Caiman and immediately ducked back as bullets smacked into the armor plating. There appeared to be an armored blockade made up of a platoon of the black and beige troops just past Triangle Park. All were heavily armed and precision shooters.

"Alec," Wrex barked, "There's no weapons here that I can lift in my grip!"

Alec nodded and tossed his Predator to Wrex, "Liara, give Wrex your pistol. He can't fire human weapons in this condition."

"Got it," Liara said as she simultaneously grabbed a KRISS Vector submachine gun, the weapon fitting comfortably in her arm.

The shooting was getting closer but the group was nowhere near ready. Tali was busy showing Garrus how to reload a pistol when Garrus suddenly shouted, "Alec, we need to find cover now!" The turian ducked as a car windshield suddenly shattered behind him, spraying Garrus with glass.

"I noticed!" Alec roared back. "Grab a rifle and let's give some covering fire."

Garrus sat up as he was handed a SCAR-L assault rifle by Tali. "You humans really need to work on your reloading function," he said dryly. "There are just too many steps involved. Flick a button here, grab a mag there, slam it in here, push _another_ button..."

"Garrus, just do me a favor and shut your fucking mouth," Alec spat. He waved to Liara, Wrex, and Tali, "Go! Get to the Mall! We'll cover you."

Tali dropped back to say something but Alec would have none of it as he sprung from around the Caiman to drop to a crouch and depressed the trigger on full auto. The recoil bit into his shoulder, making him snarl at the discomfort. Several of the soldiers scurried off the street, bullets chewing the pavement only inches away. Alec swung the rifle around when something struck him in the chest, sending him to the ground.

"Damn it, human," Garrus growled as he grabbed Alec's jacket and hauled him to safety. "We aren't armored, you son of a bitch. What are you thinking?"

Alec was coughing and sputtering, "I thought…redundant shield generator…would take entire impact…guess not."

"You're going to have a huge bruise under there, assuming we survive this."

"If we want to survive, we'd better get to the Washington Monument."

Garrus ducked as another round passed over his head, "What's at the monument?"

"It's the best place for an extraction, we can get a pickup from the _Alamo_ there."

"Then call it in," Garrus said as he now moved to the side, clumsily firing the rifle in his hands. Amazingly, because the soldiers had started to close the distance, one of the turian's rounds caught a man in the neck, sending a spray of blood to the side as his artery was nicked.

"This thing hurts my _hands_," Garrus grimaced.

With his wind back, Alec said, "Stay off the street. We'll signal to Tali and the others to cover us, okay?"

"Got it."

Standing up, Alec waved to Tali who motioned to the group, bringing their weapons to bear. Tali had procured herself a grenade launcher. An ideal weapon, considering the fact that this was not going to be a close quarters fight. When Alec could see the flashes from behind the parked cars, he tapped Garrus and both took off running.

Everything then started to go wrong all at once. From the adjacent C street, a black colored APC suddenly rammed into the line of parked cars, sending a mass of twisted metal and glass shrieking away. Alec cursed and ran out into the street, followed by Garrus, trying to get around the armored car. Instantly, Alec felt his shields flare and then he dropped as an enormous pain in his left leg kicked in as a bullet hit. He hit the pavement hard, scraping his palms as he shouted.

"Alec!" Garrus exclaimed as he bent to help his friend. Alec then heard the turian cry out as a series of bullets struck him, dropping his shields as he also fell to the ground. Alec grimaced in pain as he struggled to get to his feet. Grabbing the turian by the shirt, he hauled him behind a stalled car on the road, but his vision went white as he was slammed to the ground yet again. He tried blinking his eyes to get rid of the brightness, but it was no use. A bullet had hit him in the face as he shields flared in response, they had been aiming for the head.

"Ugh," Garrus groaned, drawing a cross between a cough and a choke.

"Garrus," Alec said slowly. "I can't see. It might be a few seconds before I can be of any use."

"Damn it," the turian said. "All right, I'll look after you." To demonstrate, Garrus rose to a knee and began leveling off shot after shot. Alec could hear yells as the bullets found their mark. Coughing, he instinctively activated his omni-tool as Garrus ducked down, the front of the car was now getting pockmarked with bullets, the engine block ruined.

"_Alamo_, come in!" Alec shouted. "This is Captain Lee, requesting immediate assistance!" There was nothing but static on the line. Alec keyed the comm again, agitated, "_Alamo_, respond!"

A brief moment arose when there was no response until a drawl rasped out, "_Captain_…how unexpected."

Alec's eyebrows scrunched in confusion, "Saren?"

"Correct, _Captain_."

Ignoring the sarcasm he pressed, "I requested the _Alamo's_ assistance, why am I talking to you?"

The voice that came through practically dripped with disdain, "I am in command of the fleet in your absence, Captain. Any and all orders are relayed to me at my own discretion."

That damnable turian, "I don't give a fuck at this point, Saren. I need a shuttle to my coordinates, now!"

"I'm afraid that is an impossibility, Captain."

"_What_?"

Saren gave a slight chuckle, "The reports I'm getting place you in the middle of a warzone. I cannot risk any personnel or equipment at this point, even if they are synthetic. The area is just too hot for a pick-up."

"That is bullshit and you know it!" Alec shouted. Garrus roared as another round struck his shields, this time at the elbow. "We are going to _die_ here unless you send down a shuttle right fucking now!"

"I do apologize, Captain," the turian said without any trace of remorse. "But I have to think about the safety of the fleet. I know you would understand if you had to make the choice. Saren out."

"_Motherfucker_!" Alec screamed. At this point his vision had cleared sufficiently to the point where he could point a rifle. From his awkward sitting position on the pavement, back propped up against a car, he turned and pointed his gun at a group of soldiers that were trying to flank the two. One man dropped with a hole through his goggles, another staggered as his vest absorbed the first volley, only to fall as a few more rounds managed to punch through. The final man's head exploded as Alec depressed the trigger to deliver three bullets to the head.

Garrus tapped Alec on the shoulder and they scurried off the road, back onto the sidewalk. At this point the men from the APC that had blocked their path in the first place had deployed outside the vehicle and were now leveling fire at the two. Alec activated his arm shield on his left as Garrus did the same. Both sprinted towards the sidewalk where Alec vaulted over the closest car, bringing his omni-sword up in a vicious swing that decapitated the first solider, head bouncing along the pavement as the stump of the neck gushed blood in a fountain. Garrus stutter-stepped and swung to the right with his own omni-sword, spilling a man's intestines as the tip of the weapon raked across his gut.

Alec and Garrus ran to where Tali and the others had been holding out, pistols out and shooting any men that were in their way, the sun blinding them through the tree cover of the walk.

"Keelah!" Tali exclaimed. "What happened to you two? Are you all right!"

"No," Alec grimaced. "We just got shot several times, we are most certainly _not_ all right."

"What are we going to do to get out of here?" she implored.

Alec shook his head, "I've been stonewalled by Saren. He hijacked our communications so we can't call for help directly. We're on our own."

"But…what if I hacked the transmission protocol from the Alamo? You should be able to contact them directly!"

Alec looked at her with bated breath, "Then do it, it's the only chance we've got."

"Alec!" Wrex growled. "Looks like we've got more trouble."

Alec whirled to see what Wrex was referring to. The soldiers had dropped down below the range of their weapons but he could see three new objects pushing them aside, parting the crowd.

The objects looked like someone stuck a minigun on top of a miniature tank tread, the things were traveling at about fifteen miles an hour but at that current rate, they would be on top of them in less than two minutes. The guns started to spool up, creating a mechanical _whir_, and they suddenly began firing in a rapid line, decimating everything that was in their path. The entire group ducked as the miniguns threatened to punch through the bare cover they had. Wrex sat up and depressed the triggers on the pistols he was holding. The remote controlled drones barely flinched at the onslaught, even when Alec, Garrus, and Liara brought their own weapons and turned them onto the metal beasts.

Dropping to a crouch, Alec said, "Tali, give me the grenade launcher." She complied, passing the beige weapon over. Alec checked to see if there was a round in the chamber before pulling the trigger. The first round struck a drone head on, causing the gun attached to it to fall off the chassis. Another grenade blew the treads off the second, causing it to tip over.

There was only one grenade left but Alec wasn't willing to use it just yet. "Liara!" he yelled. "Pull!"

All asari in the galaxy have the natural ability of being biotic, able to manipulate dark energy that is exuded from every pore in the universe. Liara now used that same energy at her disposal, her fingertips glowing with a deep indigo as the last drone levitated off the ground.

"Show us the underside!" he called. Liara made a turning motion with her hand, bringing the undercarriage of the drone in full view.

"Give it everything you've got!" Alec yelled as he swapped back to his assault rifle. Bullets and metal parts rained down on the sidewalks, the clanging of cartridges joining in. The disabled drone now crashed to the ground as Liara let go, out of the fight.

"I've got it!" Tali cried. Alec brought his omni-tool up again and Tali transferred the protocol to his device. "_Alamo_? This is Captain Lee, respond."

"Acknowledged, Lee-Captain," came the perfunctory geth response. "Do you require assistance?"

"We need an immediate pick-up at these coordinates," he bit back a joyful sob. "The zone is hot so be prepared for an immediate dust-off. And make sure the med bay is ready."

"Acknowledged, Lee-Captain. ETA to destination is twelve minutes."

"You're a godsend," Alec breathed. "Captain Lee out." He deactivated his omni-tool and let out a sigh of relief at the conclusion of the exchange.

"Well?" Garrus shouted over the din. "What's the verdict?"

"We've got twelve minutes to make it to the monument!" Alec pointed at the distance obelisk. "We might not get another chance so we need to leave right _now_."

"On foot?" Liara asked. "That'll be a challenge."

"No one said it was going to be easy. We've got a block to go before we get to the Mall, after that it's a straight shot to the monument. We're going to get this done fast and I mean fast, got it?"

Everyone nodded, now was not the time for screwing around. "Go!" Alec screamed and everyone scrambled. Alec could not see where the shots were coming from so he pulled out his pistol and fired blindly behind his back as he ran down the sidewalk, not knowing if he was hitting anywhere near where he needed to.

Amazingly, there were still a few civilians on the sidewalk, cowering in fear, partly because of the urban combat, and mostly because of the presence of aliens in their midst.

"Get out of the way!" Alec yelled as they backed into the nearby stores. He barreled past them as traffic on Constitution Avenue caused everyone to slow and wait for an opening. Alec whirled around and leveled shots behind him, seeing a few of the black soldiers fall after he'd bothered to aim down the sights. But he was still outgunned in this regard. This wasn't just a ragged militia, this was a black ops unit of the most effective combat force in the world.

He glanced behind him and saw that his friends had made it across the street. He cautiously scanned the road in front of him before turning around and sprinting to the other side. His right leg was twinging, he could now feel the side effect of where a knife had plunged into his flesh, all those years ago. He limped a bit, catching himself before he was propelled forward as a bullet hit his back. Alec staggered, falling to a knee in the middle of the road but kept moving forward. An oncoming car saw the weary man in the streets and depressed the brakes, but it wasn't soon enough.

Alec was unprepared for the car and was knocked back a couple feet as the it made contact with his legs. He shouted in agony as he was knocked back, his entire body felt like it was on fire. His hearing had gone a few blocks back, there was only a dull ring. His vision was blurry again, everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. He slowly got up, flinching every time a bullet made contact with his shields, as he bent down to pick up his fallen pistol. Through the murky glare, he saw a purple glow appear at his side as a strong grip supported his weight.

"I got you!" Tali shouted. "We're almost there!"

Alec could not make a response, his mouth wasn't working. Tali slowly guided him underneath the trailer of a stalled semi-truck, the ever present bullets making contact with the metal above them.

"Just…go," Alec said tiredly. "Get yourself out of here, Tali…I'll hold them off."

Tali whirled to give Alec a slap on the face, the harsh sting jolting him back to reality, "You _bosh'tet_! I'm never leaving you, you got that? Stop trying to be a hero and come with me right now!" Alec, in a daze, only nodded as he was pushed forward by Tali. She was making sure that he had the point position so that he would not sneak off and have a glorious final stand.

That duty had currently fallen to Garrus and Wrex, the former was busy planting tech mines on the sidewalk which led to the monument. Wrex was lobbing a few smoke grenades to cover their retreat. This had no effect as both the turian and krogan were pushed back after a few bullets stuck them in the chest.

"They must be using thermals," Wrex growled. "Smokes are useless against them."

"But now they can't send any more tank drones lest they suddenly fall into disrepair," Garrus indicated the mines.

Jogging back to catch up to the group, they could see that the entirety of the park around them had been completely emptied of life. They could not see any soldiers on the horizon but they knew that they were approaching fast. Alec checked his chronometer, five minutes to go.

"Take a side by the monument!" Alec yelled. "Use it as cover."

Everyone bunched to the side as they reloaded their weapons, empty clips clattering to the ground as the majority of them fumbled with the unfamiliar guns. With everyone locked and loaded, they stood at the ready as they prepared for the final assault.

Garrus tilted his head, "Listen," he said. "Do you hear that?"

Wrex craned his neck, "No…I think you're…wait…there is something."

A slight buzzing noise was now audible to Alec, despite his ruined hearing. He immediately started scanning the sky, nervously clenching the rifle in his hands.

"Fuck me," Alec whispered. "Aerial drones, take cover!"

Out of nowhere, a squadron of small quad-copters suddenly filled the air. Each drone carried a small turret underneath their construction in addition to a small camera lens. Designated the Scout by Aeryon Labs and used in several military operations throughout the years, the drones were programmed for only one purpose: seek and destroy.

Everyone edged behind another wall of the monument as the drones circled to catch their prey. Liara brought up her submachine gun as she swept it across the air. Miraculously, a stray shot caught a drone's rotor and it crashed to the ground.

"These things are delicate," she said. "But it will take us forever to down all of them, and we might run out of ammo before then."

"My thoughts exactly," Garrus said, priming an electromagnetic grenade from his belt. The turian chucked it into the air where the concentration of drones was the thickest and moved behind the wall so as not to be affected by the pulse. There was a blue flash and fifteen drones rained to the ground, some smashing their components all over the sidewalk.

"How about that!" Garrus laughed. "I bet they never thought of-"

He broke off his gloating as a rotor on a drone started to twitch until it was fully spinning again. Within seconds, the entire fleet was back in the air, ready to carry out their orders again.

Alec swore, "Damn! I didn't know we had perfected electronic shielding that fast yet."

Garrus shrugged, "The more you know…"

Shaking his head, Alec snarled, "This is getting old. Liara, hit them with a singularity. Tali, grab a grenade and throw it at the center when it's up."

Liara waved her arm as a dark ball suddenly appeared in the middle of the swarm, the drones were now altering their paths as they started to orbit, slowly getting sucked in past the event horizon. Tali, grenade now primed, hurled the small object and it caught perfectly in the gravitational field. When everything was sucked into the dark hole, there was a brief flash of the grenade detonating. The singularity dissipating, there was no evidence that there had even been a fight at all.

"We've still got two minutes to go," Alec warned. "Stay frosty, people."

"Damn!" Garrus pointed. "Look at that."

Alec looked to see what Garrus was indicating. There was another dark object in the sky, although this was at a distance and quite a lot larger than a simple drone. Alec's eyes widened as he recognized the silhouette.

"Chopper incoming. Don't let it get a bead on you."

With a roar of rotors, the helicopter tilted to a side as it tried to get in a perfect position to take out its targets. Alec could see that it was not an attack helicopter which specialized in anti-infantry but only a utility helicopter, a Black Hawk. In this case, neither choice was particularly enticing as an option of having a helicopter is a step over the enemy, specialized or no. This particular Black Hawk had two side mounted turrets to it, each manned by one of the black and beige soldiers.

Garrus and Wrex raised their weapons and fired at the fast moving object but it was no use. The chopper was too well armored and too fast for anyone on the ground to have a remote hope of hitting it. All they could do was stay out of the range of its guns and run around the monument. But how long would that last? Reinforcements were surely converging on their position at this moment, it would be mere minutes until they would be overrun on all sides.

"Crap," Garrus threw down his gun as it clicked on empty. "We got so far, too."

"You think there's a chance for us to surrender?" Liara asked.

Alec shook his head, "Their minds were made up from the moment they pulled that trigger. I underestimated exactly what lengths they would go to."

Tali leaned against Alec, ignoring the barrage of the rotors and the guns, tuning out the screams and the shouts of people, "None of us could have predicted this. It's only fitting that-"

Caught up in their fatigue, the chopper now took advantage of the lull in their retreat to position itself perfectly in line with the five people at the bottom of the Washington Monument. Every halted in their tracks, knowing that their shields could not withstand such an assault from the powerful mounted guns. Even Wrex seemed to have accepted the fate to which he was now resigned, lowering his gun in a gesture of submission.

Alec shut his eyes as he heard a distant explosion. There was a rush of heat and a cacophony of metal falling to earth. But nothing seemed remotely different. He opened his eyes to see a flaming wreck on the ground in front of him. And, taking the position where the Black Hawk had hovered, was a Kodiak shuttle. Alec laughed, tears starting to form around his eyes. The group stepped away from the monument as the shuttle landed fifty meters away, its doors opening. Garrus ran out in front to address everyone.

"All right, when we get back up there, I'm buying everyone a round. I just want to appreciate-"

Alec was smiling at the turian's exuberance when a dark shape came into his vision, just over the Capitol building to the left. It was traveling fast, faster than a drone, faster than a chopper. It was sleek, had a single cockpit, and slung underneath its stubby wings looked like-

"_MOVE_!" Alec screamed and scrambled back toward the monument with Tali as Garrus stood, gaping at the new development. There was a dull thump and a pressure burst through Alec's body as the missile detonated. He felt himself flung through the air, the ground spinning underneath as he came to land hard on his back. Flames rushed over his face, causing him to roll away to get away from the burning sensation. He opened one untouched eye as he detected something rushing at his face. Alec instinctively threw up a hand to protect himself and howled as the spinning piece of shrapnel took off his little finger as it passed by. He clutched his hand as his ruined finger twinged, pain shooting up from the stump. Gasping, he fumbled in his pocket for the tiny packet of medi-gel he always kept handy and applied it to the wound. He grimaced as the stinging took its toll but the bleeding had stopped at this point.

It was a weird sensation, not having five fingers on one hand anymore. It felt to Alec that he still had his finger but at the same time he _couldn't_. There was nothing for him to move, his nerves were misfiring, everything was jumbled.

Flickering his eyes, he felt himself being brought up by a huge form. Wrex. The krogan gingerly wrapped a hand around his waist as he carted him to safety.

"Wrex?" Alec groggily asked. "Where are the others?"

"I…" the krogan, for once, did not have anything to say. "I…don't know."

They both stood in the inferno for a bit. They could see the shuttle, somehow untouched, in the distance. There was also a faint hint of a voice in the air. Alec strained to hear it…it sounded like…Liara.

"Alec! Wrex!" Both human and krogan looked in all directions for the asari. Spotting a faint hint of blue, Alec extracted himself from Wrex's firm grip and started running to her.

"Liara!" he called. "Are you hurt!"

"Come…come quickly," he heard her say in a strangled voice.

Pushing past the flames on the ground, uncaring at the harsh burns, they found Liara next to a body. It looked like Garrus. Liara's eyes were cloudy, welled with tears as she indicated the turian at her feet.

"He's…alive…but…" she couldn't finish the sentence as Alec knelt down beside her.

Garrus was unconscious and most of his body appeared undamaged, but the right side of his face was a mess. Blue blood was splashed all around the area, some areas of skin had been ripped apart from the force of the explosion. His right mandible hung loosely, held together by only a few strands of sinew. The turian groaned as he was undoubtedly going through the most unbearable pain he'd ever experienced. Alec felt helpless as Liara was already applying a dose of medi-gel to the wounds.

"Wait…" Alec said. "Where's Tali?"

He immediately got to his feet, dizziness permeating every cell of his corneas from the quick motion. He stumbled across the landscape, desperate to find the familiar form, his wife, in this hell on earth. There was a faint sniffling noise, a whimper. Alec turned in all directions, urgency impacting every fiber of his being.

"Tali!" he screamed. "Where are you?"

"H…H-here…" came a faint reply to his left.

Alec scrambled down a steep slope where he found Tali propped up against a small bank, her chest heaving in short breaths. Her visor had an angry spiderweb of cracks on it, but the tempered glass meant that it was incredibly hard to shatter, even for a large explosion. Alec crouched to run his hands along her body, checking for any unseen injuries until his gaze dropped to her feet.

Alec stopped all movement, his breath did not seem to want to get out, his heart seemed to stop and just quit working altogether, "Oh…god, no." He sobbed, "_Tali_…"

"Is…is…it bad?" she managed through labored breaths.

Alec glanced down, unsure of what to do. Tali's lower right leg was gone. Blown completely off, a mass of red tissue and a small sliver of bone were exposed. Blood was spurting out in even bursts, brought on by the beating of her heart.

"I…I…I…activated…my antibiotics," she said, voice tinged with pain. "S-Should be…n-n-no inf-f-ection…now…"

Alec's hand shot to his medi-gel, the other grasping the leg around the stump, trying to stem the flow of blood. He applied a generous amount to one hand and addressed Tali very softly.

"This is going to hurt, okay? But I have to do it…to m-make you…b-better."

"Please, Alec," she pleaded. "I w-want more t-time with you. I can't g-g-go…now…"

"I know, baby," Alec said as his hand touched her stump, smearing the gel. Tali bucked in his arms and screamed as what must have felt like a million fire ants crawling all over her wound. He grabbed her in an embrace as she continued to cry, "I know…it will all be over soon." He continued to hold her as her sobs subsided as the medi-gel took its effect.

Alec furiously glanced over his shoulder. He could see that the rest of his squad had loaded the shuttle already. The geth pilot was standing in front, gun at the ready. Alec slid a hand underneath the quarian and lifted her as he jogged to the waiting shuttle. He didn't stop running until he had run inside the cabin, Tali still wrapped in his arms. Liara gasped and Wrex's eyes widened when they saw the extent of her injuries but Alec ignored them both. The geth had already clambered into the cockpit and now he could feel the shuttle start to ascend, lifting them away from this wretched place.

The geth intoned that the med bay had been alerted and was ready for processing when they docked. Alec did not acknowledge the geth, cradling the body of his wife as she still clung to life, softly crying into her shoulder and pouring with rage at the monsters who did this to her.

Someone would pay. He would make sure of that.


	10. Chapter 9: Lone Wolf

The Capitol building was quiet as Lieutenant General Palmquist briskly walked through the marble hallway. He was in a mood and he needed someone to vent on. Right away.

He quickly found the door he was searching for, labeled with a brass plaque marked "Speaker of the House," he quickly barged in, ignored the flustered receptionist and slid open the door to find Anthony smirking at him.

"General," the man stood. "I wasn't expecting you this early. I did remind you that I had an appointment with-"

His words were suddenly cut off as Palmquist grabbed him by the throat and pushed him onto the far wall. Any noise from the disturbance did not escape the room, it was just the two of them.

"What did I say?" Palmquist hissed. "I told you to use discretion. What the _fuck_ was all that about? You sent the Gen Vs into the heart of the fucking capital city, you stupid son of a bitch! How are you going to explain that to Congress!"

Anthony shook off the director's grip, "I told you I was going to handle it. You neglected to ask how. I saw an opportunity and I used it."

"You…your actions got dozens of civilians killed! I saw the reports from the team leader, most of them were caused by our side. Our side! How is this not going to blow up in our faces!"

Anthony frowned, "Relax, general. Did your reports fail to mention that the aliens were using human weapons throughout the entire exchange? There was one instance in which foreign firearms were used, yes, but from what we can discern they did not impact with any civilians, only our men. We can keep our men off the autopsy reports should this come to light."

"You were supposed to use the Generation V soldiers outside of the fucking city. Outside! I still haven't heard an explanation for why you did that! You could have stuck a bomb to the underside of their vehicle, you could have ordered the vehicle to drive to a deserted area. You did not need to bomb it mere blocks away from the fucking White House and chase them down the National Mall with helicopters and F-fucking-22s!"

"The problem with your ideas, general," Anthony said sternly. "Is that they have no longevity. You wanted me to leak a sex tape as one of your options. Those things may be hot for the first few months but then people start to question them, even forget them altogether. I can't just use a piece like that to disprove anything to do with the aliens' disingenuous agenda."

Anthony swallowed to catch a breath, "Also, a bomb to the vehicle? When should I have done that? At the NSA itself? You know as well as I do that we can't bring an explosive device anywhere near the campus without alarms raising holy hell everywhere. Since we couldn't move them anywhere else, that option was out of the question instantly. Also, the problem with taking these creatures to a remote area and capping them leads to no discernable proof for anyone who wasn't there. We would have to feed to the public the idea that the aliens were trying to rebel against us, that they threatened us."

"Which they practically did!" exclaimed Palmquist.

"But how could we prove it? How could we show the world that they did not come in peace as they so claimed? In order to get this idea across everyone's thick skull, I engineered the operation so that the public could see in full view, aliens attacking our soldiers. Never mind that we made the first strike, eyewitness reports are rarely accurate. With the proximity of the attack and the media handling the spin, we can say anything we want."

Anthony sat back down, "The fact that civilians were killed is tragic, yes, but it also strengthens our position. Everyone knows that they were using the exact same type of weapons that our own troops were using. Even if they were to compare the exact guns the bullets came from, we could easily falsify the evidence and claim that the aliens were the ones that shot our people. All we have to do is say this in front of a camera and it becomes reality."

"This was a mistake," Palmquist stammered. "You…should have told me beforehand. If I knew you were going to take advantage of the Tertiary Protocol this way?"

"You'd what? You better get it into your head that with Numbers One and Two incommunicado, _I_ am the acting President of the United States of America. The public will listen to what _I_ have to feed them. You would have me present a video of a human eating out an alien from seven different angles. I will now give them the aftermath of a massacre. A warning to the dangers aliens present to our culture, our world. The deployment of the Gen Vs will only earn us praise from the community. That we were quick enough to react to such a situation. Think of the possibilities, Palmquist! We will be allowed to expand our military operations even more, we will earn the admiration and fear of the entire world as the only country to beat back an alien invasion. This is a victory, general. But you are so short-sighted that you didn't even see it at first."

Palmquist slumped into the opposite chair, drained, "What…what are you going to tell Congress?"

"The same thing I just told you. The public will rally behind us as we mourn the loss of life. A national tragedy always does wonders at bringing a country together. No one would dare side for the aliens, not after what happened here."

Anthony straightened his tie as he made for the door. He put a large hand on Palmquist's shoulder as he passed, "I did not make this decision lightly, Palmquist. However, it was the only way to get the job done. You convinced me that they feared us. And now they have another excuse to fear us even more."

"But will they push back against their fear? How about your friend? Despite the mass of personnel you pushed today, you failed to kill even one of them."

Anthony snorted, "Alec was never the physical type. He'd just as soon cower in the corner and take his beating. And after the crap we inflicted on his wife, he will be begging to go back to whatever planet he calls home, because Earth ain't it."

* * *

Alec felt something rustling his shoulder. He sat up, groggily, as he got his bearings. He was back on the _Alamo_, having spent the night on an uncomfortable bench in one of the hallways. Across, on another bench, lay Dayrl and Vaeri, both having finally gotten some sleep when Alec had rushed onto the ship, covered in blood and holding the slumped body of their mother. The sight must have been horrible for them, having to witness such a traumatic event. He was impressed at how his children tried to be brave for their mother, doing their damnedest not to cry in front of him.

In the end, though, they had succumbed to their shock and grief and he had held them both as they cried, their bodies clinging onto his for support. Alec had already exhausted all his tears, he could not join them, no matter how much he longed to.

Now, Alec was just getting himself resituated as he saw the stick-like figure of Mordin hovering over him, slight spots of blood staining his otherwise pristine coat.

"Doctor, just give it to me straight, no fluff," Alec pleaded.

Mordin nodded, "Patient is stable now. Resting. Missing limb is currently undergoing flash clone procedure. Should be done within a few hours. Will surgically reattach when ready. Tali'Zorah will be fine, Captain."

Alec let out a sob of relief, this was the closest he had ever come to losing her and now she was still here, in spite of it all. "Thank you, doctor," Alec breathed. "It's just…you have no idea how scared I…she means a lot to me, you understand…"

Mordin crouched to Alec's eye level, "Perfectly, captain. Procedure quite treatable for current medicine capabilities. Have noted that such procedures are not present in human culture."

"Yes," Alec nodded slowly. "I'm just…amazed at how far someone can be saved, even when they've lost so much…"

"Perhaps an incentive for Earth to cease aggression, hmm?"

Alec slowly got to his feet, "I have to admit, doctor. That isn't a likely option at this point."

"Understandable. But should let you know. Patient is conscious. Can go see her now if you wish. Plenty of time until surgery. Will look after the young ones. They have been quite conversational in the days we have spent here."

Alec smiled at that, "They're good kids. Thank you again, doctor." He held out his hand to the salarian, who shook it energetically.

"No need to thank, Captain. Only did my duty. Only my duty."

* * *

The door carefully stepped open as Alec entered the room. Being a spaceship, the interior was utilitarian. Nothing to make anyone feel at home, just plain white and some sparse medical instruments hanging on the walls. Alec pulled a chair from the wall to sit beside the bed in the middle of the room, where a quarian outside of her suit was currently resting.

Alec scooted forward so that he could be by the bed, trying to keep his gaze from the stump of her leg, despite the fact that it was currently wrapped in bandages. Hearing the noise, a mass of silver hair turned and Alec saw the familiar grey face and the beautiful blue eyes again.

"Tali, um…" he started. "Mordin told me that you were awake and I came right when-"

Tali grabbed his head as she kissed him forcefully. Alec was surprised at her action but quickly relaxed, letting her set the pace, control the movements. She kissed with a longing need, as if there had been something missing from her life. Her tongue parted his lips and she was blowing air in and out through her nose, becoming more and more desperate with each passing moment. Eventually, she withdrew and caressed his head, tears starting to fall down her cheeks.

"Alec…oh, Alec," she mumbled. "I…didn't know if I would get to see you again. I…I thought…"

"You're going to be fine, my love," Alec said, a smile forming across his face. "Mordin told me that you would have your leg back in just a few hours. You're going to be just _fine_."

If Alec had believed that her eyes couldn't be any more watery, he was proved wrong as she started to break down, "Oh…oh Keelah…that is…I don't know what…it's all so…" She gulped, "I thought, for a second, that I would never walk the same again. I can still _feel_ my leg, but I can't move it…because…I…"

Alec hugged her, running his hands up and down her back, feeling her muscles relax from his gentle touch. Her tears were dampening his shirt at the shoulder but he continued to clutch her tightly. She drew back but continued to grasp at both of his hands, now noticing his injuries.

"Oh no," she gasped. "You're hurt too."

"It's nothing, Tali," Alec shook his head.

"Nothing? You're missing a finger! Why didn't you talk to Mordin when you got here?"

Alec sharpened his words, "Because I was too preoccupied at trying to save my wife, that's why!"

Tali stiffened at that, "I'm…I'm sorry, you're right. But I still feel guilty…I'm going to get my leg back but you don't seem to care about your finger."

Alec shook his head, "Woman, in spite of how long we've been together you're still thinking of others before yourself _all the time_."

"I can't help it," she shrugged. "It's all part of being a quarian. But I'm still surprised that you haven't gotten any treatment for that."

Tali was only half off. Mordin, being ever anal, had noticed the wound on Alec's hand long beforehand and had repeatedly asked him if he wanted to treat it. Alec had repeatedly refused until he stood to his full height and proclaimed, "_It's only a fucking flesh wound_!" Mordin then focused his efforts on both Garrus and Tali only after that.

Alec gazed at his maimed hand, "It's not like I ever used my little finger much. Besides, I'm now one step closer to practically being a quarian in build."

Tali giggled, "You still have to cut off a few more digits there, love. I'm going to guess that you're not all that serious about it."

"You're damn right."

"_Humans_," Tali smiled, but quickly frowned. "What…what about Garrus? I had heard that he was also in surgery because he needed an operation. Was…was it bad?"

Alec grimaced, "Garrus had to take a few grafts from the samples Mordin had on file. He also received some cybernetics to hold his mandible in place. I'm not going to lie, Tali, the whole right side of his face is messed up. He's going to be heavily scarred for the rest of his life. But he's alive and that's all that matters right now."

Tali nodded, "That's…I guess that's good then. Any word from Liara? Or Wrex?"

"Just burns and scratches, nothing major. I can't even begin to think on how close we were to being killed several times over. I can't imagine what was going on over there."

"What do you think the Council will do?" Tali asked.

Alec stared off into space, "Probably blockade the planet again. Wait twenty more years to contact Earth, who knows? They're not going to aggravate Earth any more, that is."

"Alec, I'm so sorry."

"So am I. I now feel terrible that I gave my people one last chance to redeem themselves. One chance, and they blew it. I blew it. I can't believe they would go that far, though. I mean, shooting at us in the streets of the capital? What kind of crazy idea was that?"

"I agree," Tali sighed. "It doesn't make any sense. But shouldn't we go to the Citadel now? Why are we still in orbit?"

"Because," Alec started. "I…just didn't want to leave yet. I guess I wanted to confirm for myself if this was how my people really felt about the whole ordeal."

"And what of that spectre? Saren?"

"Fuck," Alec breathed. "I forgot all about him. When we get back to the Citadel, I'm going to do everything in my power to have that bastard court-martialed, spectre be damned. I can get Garrus on my side, he's been hurting after that little prick for years."

"As long as it doesn't end up with someone getting shot, I say go for it," Tali waved a hand.

"Knowing my luck," Alec said in mock gloom. "That just might happen."

Both of them looked at one another for a few minutes. Not saying a word, smiling at the other. It said a lot about two people when both of them could enjoy a moment together without having to speak. Their affection for the other radiated throughout the room as both human and quarian held each other's hands as they gently caressed the other.

Alec cleared his throat, "You know, the kids are sleeping outside, but if you're up for it, I can bring them in to say hi. They've been worried sick the whole night when I came in with you."

"How…how much did they see?"

Alec lowered his head, "Enough."

Tali gave a small smile, "Let them in, let me see my children."

"At once, ma'am," Alec slid open the door and leaned his head out. From Tali's perspective, he whispered a few words and leaned back in as two smaller quarians practically ran into the room.

"Mom!" exclaimed Vaeri, Dayrl right behind her.

Tali spread her arms as she embraced her son and daughter, tears starting to fall again as the family was made whole. Alec stood in the doorway as he watched it all. Biting back his own tears, he walked forward to embrace the group, giving a kiss to Tali's forehead.

"I'll give you time to yourselves. Don't go too hard on your mother, kids."

They only nodded as Alec slowly walked out of the room, feeling as assured as he'd ever felt in years.

* * *

The bandages were itching like _hell_. Garrus was considering handcuffing his wrist to his waist in an attempt to stop itching at them. But he couldn't help himself. His face was irritating him to the point where he thought he was going to go mad. Mordin had said that he had put a salve that should have reduced the inflammation but even so, it _burned_.

Biting back a snarl of discomfort, he walked onto the elevator and pressed the button for the captain's cabin. He had just finished meeting with Tali in the med bay right before she was wheeled out for surgery. Despite her grievous injury, it looked like that she would get away relatively cleanly, all things considered.

_Lucky her_.

Garrus could only sigh at his predicament. He had been careless, stupid to think that they were scot-free at the last moment, only for it to come crashing down as his world went to pieces. The salarian had advised against excess mandible movement for the first month, but it still twitched, desperately trying to break free of its prison and emote his pain to the world. Non-turians wouldn't catch the gesture, but his friends, who he knew for years, would instantly pick up on it. They understood him, probably better than his parents ever did, and that was why he considered them his second family. Everyone was there for each other and he loved them all.

The elevator chimed and Garrus stepped off to see that the door to the cabin was unlocked. That was odd, it was usually sealed red. Stepping forward, the door slid open to reveal that there was no one in the cramped space. It wasn't like Alec was playing hide-and-seek on this deck anyway. It wasn't possible to hide on a turian frigate.

Concerned, Garrus strode back onto the elevator before he had a funny thought. Wanting to dissuade his ridiculous notion, he depressed the button for bottommost floor and waited until the door would open again.

When he finally reached the broad expanse that housed the shuttle and doubled as an armory, he swept his gaze across, simultaneously nodding to the turian and geth guards that flanked the doors. A figure stepped out behind a corner, wreathed in a spare black and red armor.

Garrus' left mandible, free from any bandages, twitched in surprise. Alec had never looked more dangerous in his life. A Paladin heavy pistol hung at his side, two bandoliers of thermal clips were slung around his chestplate, two Kassa Locust submachine guns were hooked onto the magnetic strips on his back. And, in his hands, he hefted a geth Spitfire, an automatic plasma rifle that was equivalent to a minigun. Alec turned and saw Garrus, halting in his tracks.

"Um…Alec," Garrus tilted his head. "What are you doing?"

Alec sighed, clearly he didn't want to be discovered now, "What does it look like?"

Garrus stopped right in front of him, "From where I'm standing, it looks like you're about to take on your entire planet. You certainly have all the ammunition in the universe to pull it off."

Alec glared, "I know who did this to us, Garrus. Who threatened to tear apart our family. What happened here could only have been ordered by the President."

"So?"

"So, we never saw the President, or the Vice President. In fact, we never heard anything at all. The succession of power for the American government would fall next to the Speaker of the House, who happens to be-"

"Anthony Wyatt," Garrus breathed."

"Precisely."

"But, Alec," Garrus shook his head. "This is absolutely _insane_. You're talking about going down there, by yourself, and trying to kill the most powerful man in your country."

"The most powerful man…at the moment."

"It doesn't matter! What matters is that you're about to needlessly throw your life away to get revenge. I regret what happened, yes, but that doesn't mean that I want to blindly rush in to open warfare!"

"It won't be like that," Alec protested. "They've never faced anything like me before. I have the edge now. They won't be able to kill me."

Garrus grabbed Alec's armored shoulders, "It's thinking like that which upsets me! _Spirits_, Alec, you're talking about needlessly putting your life in danger here, when you've got a family you need to care for. You have a duty to them, to stand by them when they need you the most. I'm your friend, Alec, and I consider yourself to be part of my family. So listen to me: _it isn't worth it_. Please, just let this go. We…we will get over it in time, but I don't want my family to be more hurt than it already is…"

Alec paused, it was very rare when turians got emotional, especially when the turian in question was Garrus Vakarian. He was shocked at the turian's words, ashamed at the hurt he felt for what he was about to do.

"Damn it, Garrus," he sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat. "I'm…I'm so sorry…"

"You'll be fine, Alec," Garrus said, relief in his voice. "You don't need to be s-"

Alec whirled with his right fist, catching the turian just below the jaw (carefully aimed at his uninjured left side) and Garrus collapsed, unconscious. Alec knelt down and propped him up in a more comfortable position. He put a hand on his friend's shoulder in a salute.

"I'm sorry for that, my friend. But, the fact of the matter is…I can't let it go. If I don't do this, our family will still be in danger from humanity. I have to stop the man who did this and if that means putting my life in danger, then so be it. But no one else is getting hurt, today, tomorrow, not ever. I'll make sure of that."

He waved over a geth guard, who marched over, attentive, "Take Garrus to the other med-bay room. Make sure he's comfortable and please relay my sincerest apologies when he wakes."

"Acknowledged, Lee-Captain," the geth nodded. Alec watched the synthetic gingerly pick up the turian and carry him over to the elevator. With the bay completely devoid of other life, Alec depressed a button on his collar, causing the helmet to his Terminus armor to assemble itself around his head. He activated all of the features on his HUD, glancing around for the minimal calibrations. When everything was ready to go, he climbed on board the nearest Kodiak, sensors warming at his presence. Despite the fact that the shuttles used electronic sensors for maneuvering, Alec preferred to initiate the virtual windows every time he flew. It was all part of being human, they liked their reference points.

As he motioned his fingers over the holographic controls, the shuttle turned as the bay door opened, exposing the blackness of the infinite night to him. Adjusting himself in his seat so that he would be more comfortable, the shuttle quietly eased out of the _Alamo_, towards the pale blue dot that billions called home.

It would have enough room for one more visitor.


	11. Chapter 10: American Alien

A pinging on one of the sensors caused one of the Generation V soldiers manning mobile SAM site 23 to glance down at the disturbance. He brought out his mini-map and saw a blip on the radar, heading right towards them. He walked over to his partner, who held the launcher, and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Got a contact on the grid at F9," he said through his mask.

His partner's beige helmet turned, "Did you clarify?"

"About to," the man engaged the radio in his helmet. "Raven's Nest, this is 23, got a possible bogey at F9, no ID, type, or tail mentioned. Orders?"

"Permission to use deadly force, 23, out," came the smooth reply.

Satisfied, the man dropped the radio and gestured to his partner, "Heft it."

The man lifted the FM-94J Stinger missile launcher, a tried and true piece of equipment that had been in use since the Vietnam War. Now, it was being aimed from the heart of DC at a small black dot that permeated the otherwise clear sky.

"I have a lock," the solider said.

"Engage."

The missile whooshed out of its tube as it streaked toward its target. As expected, the object attempted evasive maneuvers by suddenly rolling to the side. With today's technology, and for such a slower-than-average moving object, it was practically guaranteed that the missile would hit, and hit hard.

The soldiers saw a brief flash near the rear of the object as it started to spin slowly in the air. The pilot seemed to be doing a decent job of keeping it aloft, despite the damage. The boxy craft was getting closer to the ground, its spinning intensifying as it was directed at an easy to discern landmark.

The first soldier keyed his radio, "Target is going down near Lincoln Memorial, stand by."

Within moments, the craft skimmed the paved ground in front of the pristine structure, metal screeching on concrete as it slowly shuddered to a stop, flames flickering from the rear. The radio was a flurry of activity, the crash had not gone unnoticed and now every soldier in the area was moving to intercept. However, the team at SAM site 23 was currently the closest, and thanks to their training, they beat feet toward the downed shuttle as soon as they determined its impact site.

They waved their guns in the air as they approached, trying to ward off any civilians in the area. Not that they needed to be told twice, they had already fled once the object had practically fallen out of the sky, from their perspective.

The men trained their rifles on the door of the craft, they could see other squads half a mile away, running down the mall in an attempt to converge on their location. They stood in place, waiting for the proper number of reinforcements to arrive before they could take any action.

Before that could happen, the door suddenly burst outwards from a fierce kick as a massive black and red figure slowly strode out, not caring about the fire which was now consuming the craft. This man was completely covered in the shiny armor and he was also carrying what looked like a portable minigun in one hand. There was no question about it that the posture was threatening.

"Freeze!" one of the soldiers yelled. "Drop the weapon and place your hands on your head."

"On whose authority?" the figure asked mockingly, in a grating voice.

"By authority of the President of the United States."

The man laughed, "That's a good one. I think you mean 'temporary President of the United States.' Just tell me where Speaker Wyatt is and no one has to get hurt."

The soldiers were not talking. The figure didn't like that he couldn't also see their expressions behind the mask and goggles. It felt to him like they thought of themselves as equals. That was their first mistake. He had no equal.

"If there's nothing else…" the figure sighed, activating a glowing tool on his arm and flicking a switch, causing the soldiers to shift nervously. The shuttle behind the man immediately exploded, sending a swath of blue flame up into the air. The soldiers turned their heads away to protect their faces from the glare. Their radios were awash with activity, requesting updates on the disturbance. The men could now hear a loud whirring noise as the man brought his enormous weapon to bear. Blue streaks of light were now pouring out of the muzzle, completely disintegrating everything they touched. One shaft of light touched a soldier's midsection, causing him to fold in half as a quarter of his body turned to ash. The other solider stepped back in shock and fell as his head turned to a smoking mass of vapor and dust.

The figure confidentially strode down the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, now training his gun on the men who were fast approaching his position. He hefted it to his shoulder and depressed the trigger, spooling barrels emitting superheated plasma, completely obliterating an oncoming squad by the reflecting pool. He turned to the right as an armored APC rolled past the bollards. The geth Spitfire in his hands made short work of the armor, punching holes through it as if it were swiss cheese, the thousand rounds a minute making short work of the vehicle with everyone inside.

Alec briefly lowered his gun as he admired the carnage in his wake and shook his head sadly.

"I hate this planet."

Turning away from the exploding vehicle, he spotted a group of civilians that were still standing out in the open, behind some bushes. His shields were now starting to flicker as a group of soldiers coming from the Vietnam War Memorial were starting to open fire. Alec was not worried about the bullets inflicting any harm on him this time. His shields were military grade now and his armor could absorb the kinetic energy carried by the shots. What he was worried about were the fact that there were innocents directly in the crossfire and the soldiers were seemingly uncaring of this fact.

Holstering his Spitfire, he extracted his Paladin pistol as he fired off a round, catching a man in the jaw, tearing it off, blood spilling on the concrete, staining it red. He fired several more times as he moved closer to the civilians. One young woman saw him approaching and tried to run for it, but this would take her into the path of the soldiers' sights. He aimed and a burst of meat exploded from the chest of one of the beige men as he grabbed her bodily across the waist, sending her behind a nearby wall. She started to shriek, confused and scared at his appearance.

"Calm down!" Alec said, peeling back his helmet so that she could see that he was human. "It's okay, see?"

The woman was starting to calm down as recognition flicked across her eyes, "You're…you're…human."

"It isn't safe here," Alec ignored her. "Get to the road, don't stop running." Her eyes wavered, unsure of what to do before Alec roared, "GO!"

The woman took off, the few civilians still hiding behind the wall looked at him for guidance, he waved a hand at the fleeing form, "Follow her, get to safety! Run!" The people immediately scrambled to their feet, huddling in a mass as they ran across the park to get to the road beyond.

He turned around the see a fist slam into his visor. He stumbled back, gnashing in annoyance. The man who threw the punch was now fumbling for a knife in his belt, gloved fingers eventually grasping a Ka-Bar in his beige vest. The soldier now advanced, swinging the knife in short arcs, driving Alec back. At the apex of a particular swing, Alec threw himself forward, grabbing the man's arm and twisting it behind him until he heard a nasty _crack_. The force of the charge propelled the both of them to the ground where the man's back landed on the stone steps, breaking it. With a roar, Alec brought his fist down, hydraulics in the armor driving the force of the punch as his hand impacted straight onto the soldier's goggles, shattering them and smashing the man's skull.

"Fuckers don't care who they hit, huh?" he said to himself.

Gore dripping from his fingers, he took a ragged breath as he stood. More black soldiers were swarming from the trees, coming from the roads beyond his field of view. A mile away he could see his destination: the United States Capitol building. He knew that the office of the Speaker of the House was located in that building. Anthony did not have enough time to be in the White House yet. That was where he needed to go.

But his paths were currently blocked. He was wasting time standing here. The more he delayed, the chances of him getting to Anthony were dwindling, fast. But there was nowhere he could currently run to without having to charge into a mob of soldiers, where their combined fire would surely put him down for the count. But, with finality, he did note that there was one avenue that would be advantageous and would expedite his travel time.

"Always wanted to do this…" he murmured as he bounded off the steps of the memorial and into the long reflecting pool in the middle of the mall. The water was only calf height so combined with his specialized armor and strength, he was able to traverse the area quite quickly. Panicked cries from the banks alerted everyone to his tactic and suddenly his shields began to noticeably dip and falter. The small assault noticeably started to lessen because of the terrain. The mall was situated on flat ground and he had completely bypassed the lines of the Gen V soldiers up the middle. By doing that, the men of the company had now turned their weapons towards the pool, but this meant that they were catching some of their own guys as their bullets whizzed past Alec towards the opposite bank, thinning the herd.

He didn't stagger from the assault, but unhooked his Spitfire and Paladin, hefting both in opposite hands. Turning to the southernmost bank, water exploding around him, he unleashed the full fury of the Spitfire on the hapless soldiers that were taking cover, sweeping the weapon in a deadly arc that destroyed anything that it touched. Screams of pain filled the air as men dropped like flies, critical cauterized wounds smoking from the barrage. Limbs were disintegrated, torsos removed, heads dissipating from necks, it was a complete bloodbath.

With his left hand, he twisted to the other side to fire indiscriminately with his Paladin, providing covering fire as he worked to bring the Spitfire up again. Precise shots took out the leg of one man, and the head of another, both cases spewing chunks of flesh as the pistol's heavy rounds dissipated all their kinetic energy into the force of the impact.

He was busy eliminating the men on the other side when a voice spoke into his ear.

"_Alec_."

He paused, unsure if he was hallucinating, "Anthony?" How did he hijack his communications?

"_You can't talk to me, but I know you can hear me on this frequency_."

Alec shook his head, try to rid the distracting voice from the confines of his helmet. He continued to fire, plasma chewing up the cherry blossom trees in the background, wood splintering.

"_I know you're upset, but you must realize that this is not helping your cause_."

"Shut up," Alec muttered. "Just shut up."

"_You should have left when you had the chance_," the voice on the comm persisted. "_Just cut your losses and ran_."

Alec started to run for the far bank, desperate to evade the verbal assault, "Wasn't going to happen, you little shit."

"_If you're trying to get them out of danger, it hasn't worked. As acting President, I hold the key to all of the nuclear strike locations in the nation. Your ships have since moved into our missile range to facilitate your impromptu evacuation yesterday. But, I make one call and your fleet is obliterated_."

Alec paused at the words, and at the unexpected arrival of a Black Hawk, turrets blazing as it passed overhead. Bits of molten metal struck Alec as the guns chattered. The larger caliber caused him to sink to a knee in the pool, gasping in pain. Yet more bruises to add to his ever expanding collage.

"You're…bluffing," he breathed. "You won't do it…"

"_If you continue to pursue me_," Anthony continued. "_I will have no choice but to execute the launch. Leave right now and you get to save your 'family.' All in all, I'm surprised that you would choose them over us, Alec. They're not even your same species and yet you sided with them. I do not feel good about having to condemn my friend like this, but you made your choice. And I have made mine_."

"It was the right choice," Alec grimaced to no one. "And I would make it again." He spun his Spitfire around as the Black Hawk made another pass, blue beams chewing through the delicate cockpit, shredding the rotors. The helicopter did not even have a chance to stay aloft as it unceremoniously smashed into the ground ahead of him, exploding and turning the day an even brighter orange as the fuel suddenly combusted.

"Your ass is _mine_."

Satisfied that there were no more troops in the area, he activated his active camouflage. His armor turned transparent, light bending slightly as it was refracted from the various angles that protruded. Twenty years of technological advancements had done wonders for research and development. Geth involvement in the development of weapons for both the turian and quarian fleets had resulted in a breakthrough in battlefield camo. Whereas a standard addition would only provide around thirty seconds of near-invisibility to the enemy, geth processing units had combine slight traces of element zero into the operating chip to produce a weave capable of generating at least thirty minutes of invisibility. Considering the length Alec still had to traverse, he was thankful for the reprieve.

Gunning out of the pool in a sprinter's stance, Alec belted across 17th street, no traffic on the road, past the Washington Monument in less than two minutes. He passed by several soldiers along the way, guns held high, searching for their lost quarry. He didn't worry about making too much noise as he stomped past, chances were that they were receiving too much interference from the conversations on their radios to notice the heavy footsteps as he sped on by.

As he approached the eastern edge of the monument, he noticed a fresh crater, brown dirt blackened by a fire, the aftermath of the missile. A pang of sorrow crept through his body as he recalled the events of that day. The pain on his hand as his finger was lopped off, Garrus lying on the ground in tatters, Tali trying to reach for her leg that wasn't there…

Alec seethed in anger, this was the work of a dead man walking. He started to pick up his pace again, rushing across the suspiciously empty road across the way. The concentration of civilians was light but you could tell that there was noticeable tension as they were trying to get out of the way and into the heart of the city where it would be safe.

A couple pushing a stroller was rushing by as Alec passed in front of them. He swore as he ran by that the toddler in the stroller _looked_ at him, his eyes wide with amazement at the blurry figure that appeared out of nowhere, head tracking his path.

The rest of the way to the Capitol was marked by two simple dirt paths, but Alec stuck to the middle grassy area, mostly so that his boots wouldn't kick up as much dirt, potentially drawing notice. He ran the last stretch, heart pounding in his ears, breath slow and steady, eyes forward and focused. There was nothing to stop him now.

Once he reached the front steps of the building, he slowed because he spotted several police officers adorning the entrance, weapons drawn and ready. Alec frowned, Anthony must have tipped them off. This was an entirely different problem because he did not want to kill any cops. The soldiers after him were a different matter because they were a specialized group. These officers were simple ordinary men, with families and regular lives. He would have to be careful not to shoot any of them but he did tell himself that if everything went horribly wrong, he might not have any other choice.

His HUD told him that he still had a little less than fifteen minutes for his camouflage, so he quickly walked up the steps of the Capitol, making sure that his footsteps were light. He pushed the door open to find that the entrance was barred by a drop down metal gate, restricting his access.

_Not entirely unexpected_.

Alec dropped his camo as he engaged his omni-sword, slashing vertically as the gate parted, letting him past. He squeezed through the adaptable opening and found himself in a mostly empty lobby, covered in smooth, polished granite. There were no guards on the premises, where the hell was everyone?

"Don't move!" a voice in his ear commanded. Alec stopped at the deception and slowly turned around. Leveling a pistol at his head was a dark-skinned man, wearing the white uniform of a Navy officer. Alec, in his brief confusion, surmised that the man had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Bad for him, it was looking like Alec would have to make a move soon.

From the corner of his eye, he could see another form in a white uniform step out from behind a column, a woman, also carrying a pistol that she aimed at his head. Alec gave a small chuckle as he addressed the man.

"You going to shoot me…Lieutenant?"

The pistol in front of his face wavered, "You are an enemy of the state, my orders are to apprehend and ugh-!"

Alec thrust his head out to catch the man's forehead in a ferocious headbutt. The helmet cushioned the blow for him but the dark man wasn't so lucky. His legs crumpled from underneath him as he was instantly knocked unconscious.

"Taylor!" the woman cried, dropping her pistol on the ground as she went to the man's aid. Her cap was askew, Alec could see a shock of brilliant red hair as she tried to ascertain the damage to the man. She was young, early twenties and quite striking.

The threat over, Alec knelt down so that he and the woman were at eye level. "What's your name?" he asked.

She jerked in her position, only now seeming to comprehend who was talking to her. As her eyes took in the sight of his frightful armor, she stammered, "M-m-my name? It…it-it's S…S-Sh…"

"I don't care about your last name!" Alec suddenly barked. "I can read a name tag. Your first name, what is it?"

The woman shut her eyes in fear at the rebuke, "H-H-Han-_Hannah_. P-Please...I have a son..."

"Hannah, listen to me," Alec's tone was softer now. "Your friend has a slight concussion. Nothing major, but he will need to get to a hospital soon. I'm not interested in hurting you, take him and leave the building, okay? Whatever you do, do not stay in the city, understand?"

"I…" she started, voice cracking badly. "I understand."

"Good," Alec nodded. "Get yourselves out of here." He stood abruptly and made for the staircase in the corner.

"Wait!" she cried and he turned to look at her. "Who…who are you?"

Alec paused at the question, "I used to be one of you. Once."

With that closed, Alec headed at a jog towards the stairs. It was the only way forward in the lobby. Seemed like a place to start. However, he had no clue where else to go once he reached the top. There were hallways upon hallways and nothing was labeled for convenience. He could see troops mobilizing outside of the Capitol. The interior cameras had undoubtedly caught him. He needed to find the Speaker's office and he needed to do it fast.

As if on cue, he omni-tool pinged and he looked down, confused. He'd received a message, unknown sender.

**Room H-224**.

Alec looked around in surprise. Who sent this to him? How did they know what he was searching for? What was going on?

Pushing his questions to the back of his head, he saw a sign denoting H-Wing that branched off to the right. He ran down the hallway, drawing his Paladin just in case. He was already on the second floor so it was convenient that he didn't need to switch. He just needed to find the right one as the one on his omni-tool denoted. Running even faster now, not noticing the fact that the building seemed to be completely empty, he rounded the next corner and stopped in his tracks.

"Oh…_shit_."

The room up ahead was organized like some sort of library. There were rows and rows of files, lamps hung on the walls, and light streamed through the huge windows to the side. It also happened to be filled with the black and beige troops from outside. The whole thing suddenly made sense. It was a trap.

Alec ducked behind a shelf as bullets immediately were flung in his direction. He holstered the Paladin, there were too many for single shots. He grabbed the Spitfire off his back and peered around the corner, spooling the cylinders as he waited for the best moment to attack.

A soldier rounded his cover and Alec immediately melted him with plasma, the body liquefying before his eyes. He rose from his cover as he planted the bottom of the rifle along the edge as he moved the weapon back and forth, white-hot death streaming out from the Spitfire. A burst of sparks shot wood and broken metal into Alec's face, stopped by his visor from preventing any body damage. He ducked back and saw that his rifle was completely trashed. The penetrating rounds had pierced the cartridge, it was now leaking corrosive acid.

Alec's eyes widened as he realized the danger inherent. Drawing himself up again, he threw the rifle with all of his might into the middle of the room. Dozens of heads tracked the weapon as it landed on a nearby desk, then the entire world turned blue as it exploded, sending bodies and objects flying in its immediate vicinity.

The soldiers yelled at the bright light and heat, despite their black goggles. Taking advantage of the distraction, Alec unhooked the two Kassa Locust submachine guns and started to strafe across the room, using both hands to spray the entire area with death. The nearest ten guards went down instantly, bodies chewed up by the high velocity rounds, their facial features completely destroyed. Alec now advanced, depressing one trigger at a time, spraying a different area each time he fired. Rounds struck his shields but they never dipped below seventy-five percent. He flipped the secondary triggers and two concussive rounds popped, catching two troopers underneath the chins, breaking their necks as they were forcefully flung backwards.

A soldier stood from cover near Alec's position and he simply cracked him over the head with the butt of a Locust, dropping him to the floor. There were only six left in the room, target practice at this point. Using single shots, Alec hit every last man in the head until there was one left. The man, flustered at his predicament, drew his service pistol as Alec calmly holstered his weapons, slowly walking forward. The trooper fired, but the round glanced off the shields. Two more shots, same result. Alec was now ten yards away. The soldier was now unloading his pistol at Alec but before he could flick the magazine reload, Alec activated his omni-sword and swiped once. Kicking aside the now headless body as it slowly leaked blood over the stone floor, he continued on out of the room, towards the small hallway in the corner.

He glanced left and right as he strolled, feeling a tad worn out after the encounter. It was like this sort of thing had become routine to him, despite its infrequent occurrences. He remembered a time when he wasn't even all that physical. He was just a normal kid back on Earth, looking to apply to colleges, only thinking about the immediate future. Now he was fighting against the very thing he had sworn to protect. Wasn't that what all those times he had to pledge allegiance to the flag in school were for? Was he really the good guy now? He was now the invader, the conqueror. But it did made sense in this regard.

He had been slighted, and that was all the reason he needed.

When he saw the door marked H-224, he reached for his Paladin. He didn't know what to expect on the other side of his doors, but he had a pretty good idea. Wasting no more time reflecting, he kicked open the wood door, moving quickly, covering all angles, as he moved to the glass door at the far end of the office. He reached down for the knob and turned it, stepping inside.

There was no one in the room. Alec turned to see behind the door, underneath the desk, to confirm his first impression. He sighed as he brought his weapon back to his side. He had been expecting this as he had spent more and more time on the surface. Had Anthony been here in the beginning? Had he delayed too long fighting in the streets, allowing him to escape?

He couldn't answer this question on his own so he made for the computer console on the desk and moved the mouse, desperate for answers. The login required a password, which Alec didn't have so he booted up his omni-tool and waited for it to establish the proper handshake protocol. Normally, conventionally hacking a government computer is one of the most difficult things to do cyber-wise. It isn't an impossible feat, but you have to know a few shortcuts around the system to begin with. Omni-tools aren't like that. They see a device that is connected to a network and within moments, they can tap in via wireless and hijack its server protocol, essentially creating a virtual desktop in real time. Alec typed in the provided password as the screen flashed and welcomed him.

It took him a few tries to get used to the operating system that had been installed. It was some form of Windows but twenty years of computing can result in leagues of progress being made in that time. It was all so different to Alec so he typed in a search query in his omni-tool. He activated the device's recent files and saw that that there were only three that had been accessed in the past few days, suspiciously deleted within that timeframe which his tool was able to recover without trouble.

He opened the first file, a Word document, and read the first few lines.

"_Tertiary Protocol Mandate,_

…_In the event that the Speaker of the House decides to manage all assets in lieu of the established Presidency, all members of the White House will be diverted to separate military bases on foreign soil and will initiate a dark policy, no contact will be established lest the President's life will be put in danger. The duration of the dark period is at the discretion of the Speaker of the House and will be notified to the controller responsible for the issuance. Reason to be…"_

Alec's eyes skimmed the rest of the file. His breathing grew quick as he realized the importance of this document. Here was evidence explaining how Anthony managed to wrest control of the military in such short notice. He looked it over again. There was nowhere in the document that certified its legality and moral obligations with anything the Constitution stood for. This was an illegal act and he could bring the head of it all down, and anyone associated with him.

He quickly copied the file to his omni-tool as he opened the next Word document.

"_NSA Briefing 11-23-2047 -CLASSIFIED-_

…_Determined and pressed by the Speaker of the House, it has been decided that a private force should be comprised for the purposes of urban warfare and pacification within the borders of the United States. As it is the fifth attempt for pushing such an act, recent events have told us that we will never get the clearance from Congress to establish such a force. The Director of the NSA, Lieutenant General Arthur Palmquist, has summarily decided to establish the platoon, designated 'Generation V' from a pool of unmarried men with specific requirements: physical shape, mental prowess, and marksmanship. All members will be provided top of the line equipment developed by the NSA. Maturation of program is expected to take at least a year and deployment should be scattered sparingly on different operations. Recommended targets for proof-of-concept would include Miami, El Paso, and Los Angeles. Will present results to Director to establish legality in light of…"_

Alec was now tapping furiously at his omni-tool, copying every last word on these files in case he was detected in the system. This was big. He now had two highly illegal acts that incriminated two men in positions of power in America. He had it all, now he just needed to get the word out. He glanced back at the last file in anticipation. This one was a video file, the large size meant that it was high quality, but he had no idea what to expect as he moused over the icon and double clicked.

He watched for only two seconds before he recoiled in the chair. He shook his head in disbelief.

"Those…those motherfuckers," he whispered. "I cannot fucking believe this! No, goddamn it, no!"

Even at the unfamiliar angle, he still recognized the figure who was sitting atop a desk. He knew who it was because he had placed her there. Still watching, he saw himself on the screen on his knees proceed to lean into Tali's body as her legs spread, her hands squeezing her bare breasts as he proceeded to physically please her. Alec paused the video as he stewed, not moving as he stared in hate at the screen.

It was the ultimate indignity. How could he have been so stupid as to think that his room wasn't bugged? Why didn't he think of that in the first place? And, of all the things that had transpired in that room, all the things he'd said, they only kept the one part when he was sharing an intimate moment with his wife.

_Cocksuckers_. They had seen her face, when he expressly announced his displeasure at such an opportunity. They had seen her when she was at her most vulnerable, her most joyful. He hated that the sanctity of the moment had been defiled the whole time they were in that room. There really were no lines the government would cross, even to their "distinguished guests."

Alec brought his arm up as he accessed the video file from his omni-tool. Computer such as the one in front of him were all linked to a network. Data was never completely erased, it could be recovered and retrieved provided you had the best working for you. Omni-tools did not discriminate, once an item was deleted it was gone forever. If a network was being hosted on an omni-tool, the same principles applied. Without hesitation, Alec deleted the file from his tool, watching the icon on the computer disappear simultaneously. To further assuage his thoughts, he left a malicious worm on the network, unable to be picked up by the relentless virus scans. He programmed it to search for the file in question in case someone had copied it to an external drive. This was key, if anyone was going to upload it to a network for later, the worm would know instantly, being connected to the government's wide area network, and would immediately ravage and destroy the incriminating file. No one would be able to see Tali's face again, he had just made sure of that.

The door creaked open and Alec, who had been distracted, glanced up to see a blank mask point a rifle at him as he slowly approached the desk. Alec frowned, he should have been more prepared and here he was sitting on a chair like an asshole. He didn't know what rifle bullets would do to his shields at point-blank range, but he didn't want to find out.

The soldier keyed his mic and started to speak, about to give away Alec's location when he, all of a sudden, stopped. He made a choking noise and collapsed to the ground. Alec was very confused until he saw the hilt of a knife embedded in the trooper's neck.

Alec stood up, cautiously, as he walked over to the dead body and yanked the knife out. It was a sharp throwing knife, short but pointy. On the hilt was an unfamiliar language that he hadn't seen in years, it almost looked like-

"Um, hey?" a voice intoned. "That's _my_ knife."

Alec looked up to see a woman in a form fitting but hooded suit. There was a small dab of maroon paint on her lower lip and the facial features, although partially hidden, looked very familiar.

"_Kasumi_?" Alec said in surprise.

The woman walked forward, taking the knife from his stunned grasp, "You look good in that armor, Alec. It might have been more effective if you wore the helmet as well to that farce of a negotiation."

Alec, a little miffed, keyed his helmet control, "How did you know it was me?"

Kasumi Goto shrugged, "I saw the armor laying in the corner of your room, remember? I'm a thief at heart, we have to be observant."

"Back to your old ways, then?"

"Something like that."

"But," Alec tilted his head. "Why help me? For all intents and purposes I'm an enemy to humanity and if they see you with me you'll be taking the fall as well."

"Because I know that you didn't do anything. That you were innocent of what they claim."

"How?" Alec asked, wanting more.

Kasumi pointed to the computer, "That. I had hacked it a few days ago and stumbled onto those same files that you did. I realized just as you did that they were illegal and waited to see if they would make use of what they outlined in there."

"Then…that means…_you_ sent me the text half an hour ago."

Kasumi produced a specialized phone, "I also had hacked your number. I figured it would be best to point you in the right direction."

Alec smiled but quickly frowned, "The third file…you didn't open it, did you?"

The thief shook her head, "I saw the thumbnail and assumed that it was private business. Although, because of the fact that I no longer can see it on my display I assume you have deleted every trace of it, correct?"

"That was the idea. That was a private matter and I'm rather touchy about the subject."

"That's understandable, but you still haven't asked me the question you've been itching to all this time."

"And what's that?"

Kasumi smiled, "'Where's Anthony?'"

Alec spoke slowly, "Do you know where he is?"

She flipped open her phone as she swiped through the apps and depressed the touchscreen once, "NSA headquarters. Every government employee is required to get implanted. It's no easy matter to get the command codes for an employee but once you do, you can monitor their movements in real time."

Alec whistled, "I can see where that would have come in handy during your little 'escapades.'" He strode towards the door as his helmet reassembled. He had his target, he must make haste, "Thank you for your help, Kasumi. I can tell you that I appreciate-"

"Oh, don't start that on me," Kasumi glared. "If you're trying to get rid of me, think again. I've got a chance to finally set things right on this planet instead of stealing for myself. I'm coming along."

"Girl," Alec growled. "If you think that, for one minute, you're coming with me to-"

"I'm not a child!" she yelled. "I can handle myself. You wouldn't be up to this point if it wasn't for me. Don't you think that there are other humans out there that admire the other species in the galaxy? Surely you're not the only one, so don't think that you're entitled to be the one human who constantly risks his life for people of differing races, Alec Lee!"

Alec strode forward, finger up to her face, "Don't…you…_dare_ think that you know me. You don't. You say you want to come along but do you really want to put yourself in harm's way for a belief that you cling tightly to? Risk your neck for a cause such as this?"

"Why not? _You_ did."

Alec huffed in frustration. Kasumi fixed him with a hard gaze that it seemed to pierce through the blackness of his visor. There was no yield in her stance, her mind was made up. Looking at her, there was a spark of something familiar in her eyes, it eerily reminded him of himself.

"_Fine_," Alec said. "But this isn't a game, Kasumi. These people are not looking to arrest you, they will kill you should they get the chance. I'm not going to babysit you throughout all this, you do realize."

"I'm aware of that," she snapped as she wheeled and drew her pistol, a silenced Beretta. There were two brief coughs and another soldier slumped from the doorway, two exit wounds just through the heart. Alec looked at the woman, impressed by her marksmanship.

"One condition," she smiled sheepishly, holding up her pistol. "I'm running low on ammo and I noticed you have quite an assortment on your back. If you could possibly spare…"

Alec, rolling his eyes, unhooked one of the Locusts from his back and handed it to her. Kasumi made an awed face and ran a hand over its polished exterior.

"Fall behind and you're on your own," Alec warned.

Kasumi responded by slapping in a spare thermal clip, "As if that wasn't obvious enough."


	12. Chapter 11: The Wind in Your Face

She took a deep breath. The air smelled clean, sterilized. There was a hint of antiseptic in the air, but she did not care in the slightest. She savored the intricate aromas, taking in what she could not see. Her eyes fluttered open, vision blurry. She blinked slowly as she slowly adjusted to the light in the room, which was quite bright. She was lying in a hospital cot, a sheet spread across the lower half of her body, everything white in the environment.

She yawned; evidently she had been out for a while. Her back arched as she brought her arms over her head in a stretch. She moved her neck from side to side, she stretched out her hands, she wiggled her feet…

Tali shot up, she had wiggled her _feet_. Her hands threw aside the blanket that covered her and she gasped in surprise. A finger gingerly touched where skin had not been previously. It felt like a leg. She could _feel_ a leg. She pinched the flesh in confirmation and was rewarded by a sharp stab of pain.

Her right leg was completely whole again, her motor functions completely normal. She cautiously turned her foot around to test her limits and sighed as everything began to feel familiar to her. She peered more closely at the skin. The leg seemed to be a lighter shade of grey than the rest of her body and if she studied the area, there was a faint circle of a scar, just above her knee, that traced all around.

_Was…was this where…?_

The door slid open and Tali, tears of joy streaming down her eyes looked for her husband. Surely he would be here, wouldn't he? Instead, Mordin Solus walked through with a clipboard, humming to himself and smiling when he saw the quarian sitting up.

"Ah, Tali'Zorah," he began. "Good to see you awake. How does it feel?" He indicated the once missing limb.

"It…" she started. "It feels…like myself. Like normal. Doctor…I can't thank…"

"No gratitude necessary," Mordin held up a hand. "All part of duty. Advantages of flash cloning, can use leg immediately after surgery."

"Surgery? How long was I out?"

The salarian shrugged, "Four hour procedure, nothing substantial. Wound was easily manageable. Able to connect nerve tissue and bone with nanografts. A simple matter, no danger whatsoever."

Tali slowly swung her feet off the bed, toes curling as they touched the cold floor, "I would imagine that Alec will be relieved. Where is he, anyway?"

The salarian looked away for the tiniest of moments, but the motion was not lost on Tali. She waited for a reply from the usually punctual man until he made a small gesture behind him, "_He_ might know the answer."

Tali turned her body around in confusion. She was startled to see that she had not been the only one in the room initially. Lying on a similar cot was Garrus, although she noted that he had a fresh bandage on the left side of the face. That was odd, he had only gotten hurt on the right.

"What the…what happened to him?"

Mordin shrugged again, "Curious thing, geth brought him up from armory in unconscious state. Relayed secondary message from Captain Lee before it left."

Tali perked her head, curious, "Message? What message?"

"To tell Spectre Vakarian that he was sorry."

Understanding slowly seeped across Tali's face. But, as much as the evidence had been placed in front of her head, she refused to believe the implications of the scenario.

_Oh no…that bosh'tet…surely he wouldn't…_

Tali jumped off the bed, wincing slightly at the slight stiffness in her new leg, and padded over to where Garrus lay.

She turned to the doctor, "Is it okay to move him?"

Mordin nodded, "As long as it's not life-threatening."

Tali nodded and immediately grabbed Garrus' shoulders and shook him viciously, "Wake up, you _bosh'tet_! Where's Alec? _Where is he_?"

Garrus' eyes flared open as he elicited an unmanly scream as if he'd just come out of a nightmare. His gaze was racing across the room, desperate for solace from the maddening woman who was inflicting bodily harm on his person. He saw a flash of grey and became even more befuddled when he recognized his attacker as Tali. His left mandible twitched in confusion.

"Tali?" he managed between shakes. "What…the…_hell_…are you doing?"

"Where…is…Alec?" Tali growled. "I know he's not here on the ship, so where did he go?"

"I…I was with him last…" Garrus started but paused, eyes widening in horror. "Oh _fuck_. He was in the armory…he was all suited up…he was going to go…"

"Go _where_?" Tali screamed. "To _Earth_?"

Garrus gingerly touched his newest bandage, gently ripping it off, "_Spirits_, Tali. He knocked me out when I forbade him to go. I didn't see it coming…I should have but I was too stupid to-"

Tali's mouth hung open in disbelief. She shook her head as she cut the turian off, "Oh Keelah. I'm sorry for yelling at you, Garrus. I just…I don't know what he was thinking…"

"I know exactly what he was thinking," Garrus grimaced as he slowly sat up. "He told me before he left that he was going to take out the man who ordered the attack on us."

"He did not say that."

"He certainly did. He packed enough weapons for the trip to take on the entire Urdnot clan. That gave me the first clue that he was about to do something rash."

"It's…" Tali paused. "It's all because I got hurt. If none of this had happened…he wouldn't have done something so _stupid_."

Garrus tilted his head as he could see something behind Tali's eyes start to formulate, "You better not be thinking what I'm thinking."

"I don't know, Garrus," she replied coolly. "What do you think would be my natural response in this case?"

"You seriously aren't considering going back down there to help him out. Especially since you were just badly wounded…"

"That was different," she fired back. "We didn't have any advantage in terms of armor or weapons. We can fix all that on the ship, here. I just need to make sure he's okay…"

"You do realize that he's doing all of this for you, right?"

"That's his problem," she sighed. "He thinks of everyone but _himself_ too much."

Garrus threw the sheet that covered his body and hastily adjusted the loose robe that hung around him, "Well, seeing as I can't talk you out of this, I'm coming along with you."

Tali smiled, "I thought you would. I knew you wouldn't let two of your best friends go down to a hostile area alone. It isn't in your nature to pass up a fight."

"No," Garrus agreed. "But if you lunatics died down there then I would never forgive myself. The galaxy would be a much smaller place."

Tali wrapped her arms around the turian in a hug. Garrus returned the gesture and patted her across the back. "We should get ready, then," he said. "The more time we spend, the higher Alec's kill count gets."

"What?" Tali intoned as both of them strode out of the hallway, Mordin wishing them luck from the room. "You don't think that Alec is in any danger at the moment?"

"Considering how angry I last saw your human, I think that _he _would be considered the danger."

* * *

Much to their surprise, when both of them stepped off the elevator, Garrus and Tali were not expecting the armory to be full at this time. Standing in front of them, already holding weapons, were Wrex and Liara.

"Thought you princesses would be here by now," Wrex laughed throatily. "I've been expecting a fight for the past hour and had to wait on someone to pilot the damn shuttle so that I could join my friend."

"And besides," Liara shrugged. "You're going to need all the help you can get, even if we now have the necessary weapons for the job." She lifted a Tempest in her hand, "Alec took all of the Locusts so I had to make do with this, though. Nice gun, but it's a bit…lacking."

Garrus' eye twitched, "I'm…I'm not even going to argue with you there. Although I don't even know how you got here ahead of us when we decided on this course of action fifteen minutes ago."

"Liara saw a geth drop you off in the med bay," Wrex rumbled. "She came and told me and we started preparing for when you woke up. Heh, I knew that there was only one crazy son of a bitch on this ship who could knock out a turian that handily and that's Alec."

"How hard did he hit you?" Tali asked somewhat facetiously.

"Hard enough," Garrus grumbled, rubbing the side of his jaw. "But, seeing as we're all suited up and our friend has dove into a world of hurt…literally, I'd say that when we get our guns we head out immediately."

"Got you covered there," Wrex laughed as he hoisted his grenade launcher. Tali made for the weapons bench and after some indecision, settled on a geth plasma shotgun, a simple but devastating model. Garrus, on the other hand, passed by his favored selection of rifles to grab a Revenant off the rack, checking the ammo and the upgrades to make sure it was in working order.

Tali appeared at his side, "Didn't figure you would go for a gun like that."

"The majority of the fights I believe are going to be close quarters. A sniper is useless in those conditions so I will carry this along, for the extra firepower."

"Why not take both?"

"Because that will weigh me down and we can't afford to lose any more time."

"Fair point."

After clipping their guns to the magnetic strips, the rejoined Wrex and Liara in the center and started to make for the last shuttle in the bay when a turian guard appeared in their way.

"Apologies, but no shuttles are permitted to leave the ship," the guard said in a rather unapologetic tone. "Orders."

Garrus lifted his head in surprise, "Orders? Whose?"

"By authority of the Spectre Saren Arterius."

"Oh, that asshole," Garrus muttered under his breath. "Listen, I also carry the rank of Spectre and I don't care if he was appointed overseer of the fleet."

"With respect sir," the officer admonished. "Arterius was quite specific that-"

"Arterius has no business interfering with this vessel. We're going down there for our captain, our friend, and I have no qualms if Saren sheds a tear for our 'misuse of the chain of command.'"

"You ought to watch your tone," the guard snarled. "I'm warning you, if you don't follow procedure, you will be court-"

Whatever the turian was going to say next was cut off as Wrex bounded forward across the grooved surface and swung an enormous arm, catching the guard in the midsection and sending him flying into the side of the Kodiak. The turian's head hit hard and he slumped to the ground, unconscious.

"Not good to keep a krogan waiting on a fight," Wrex shrugged.

Not really wanting to argue with the krogan's methods, the squad bounded onto the shuttle. Garrus beckoned the nearest geth over and pointed at the still body of the guard, "Take this one up to the med bay to be checked."

"Acknowledged, Vakarian-Spectre," the geth chimed. "Clarification, you will leave the ship against order even though they were specific?" There was no hostility in the synthetic's words, only a slight intonation of confusion.

"Arterius isn't in command here. Alec is, and we're going to help him out. We have a duty to him, to stand by his side whenever and wherever. That is why we must leave."

"Understood," the geth nodded, apparently satisfied at the answer. "Unit cohesion takes priority, we have determined, after analysis. Would advise low-level flight to avoid ground-to-air fire. We have calculated that humans are quite capable of defending against insurmountable odds."

"Well, this time, we're the ones going up against insurmountable odds, but they haven't faced us yet." Garrus leaned into the Kodiak and closed the hatch on the geth. He glanced around the cockpit and noticed something was off. "Who's going to fly this thing?" he asked. Simultaneously, he walked over to the cockpit access and shoved it open. He let out a groan, "Oh no."

"Hey Garrus, hey mom," a voice said somewhat sheepishly.

"Dayrl? Vaeri?" Tali exclaimed in surprise. "What the hell are you _doing_ here?"

"Helping you out of course," Vaeri said defensively.

"No," Tali shook her head. "No way. You kids get out _right now_."

"Sorry, mom," Dayrl sighed in the front seat. "But we want to help dad just as much as you guys do. For the record, we're sick of being cooped up on this ship. If you even think about throwing us off this shuttle, you're making a big mistake."

"You're the one making the big mistake," Tali hissed as Liara and Wrex glanced at each other awkwardly. "Your father is going to be furious if he finds out that you-"

"That we wanted to help?" Vaeri cried. "Sorry mom, but who exactly is going to fly this thing, Garrus? Not gonna happen. Dayrl can, though. We can get you there and provide air support!"

"This conversation is over," Tali grimaced, pointing at the door. "Out!"

"No, mom," Dayrl said as he strapped his seatbelt on. "We're going to Earth. We're going to our father. I'd suggest you sit down right about now." To further drive his point home, he quickly activated the controls on the Kodiak, which quickly lurched out of its initial position. Before Tali could utter one more protest, the shuttle shot out of the bay and into space.

"Well, look at that," Vaeri said triumphantly. "Nothing we can do about it now."

"You kids are as stubborn as your father," Tali grumbled but she sat down all the same.

"Although," Dayrl said somewhat cautiously. "We are being hailed at the moment, friendly frequency."

"Give it to me," Garrus called. Activating his omni-tool, a hologram burst from his hand into the center of the shuttle. A grey turian materialized and turned around in all directions. Saren.

"Vakarian?" the spectre growled. "I thought I ordered the fleets to stand down. Explain yourself!"

"Just…taking a little tour of the planet," Garrus said as nonchalantly as possible. "Getting some good shots for the nature vids and the like."

"You incompetent idiot," Saren spat. "You'd better have a good explanation for disobeying my direct orders or I will come down there and flay you myself!"

"I have a good reason, Saren," Garrus drawled. "You're going to love it: go fuck yourself." Before the other man could scream his frustration, the turian cut the comm.

Liara giggled at the turian's brazenness, "You're really pushing it today, aren't you?"

Garrus shook his head slowly, "Don't start, T'Soni…"

* * *

"Come on, man. Keep up!"

Alec groaned, "Quit your badgering, I'm trying to do multiple things at once here!"

Kasumi sighed, "Then do them faster! I thought you wanted to get a move on!"

"I'm not as young as I used to be, give me a fucking break."

They were in one of the Capitol's many underground walkways that led to an adjacent building. The corridor was narrow in that it could only fit one person, the walls were brick, and everything was dusty. At the moment, the only source of illumination in the gloomy caverns was Alec's omni-tool, which he was currently fiddling with.

"What exactly are you doing?" Kasumi asked.

The armored man shrugged, "Just sending the files I copied to every news station I know of."

Kasumi stopped in her tracks, "Wait…you can do that?"

Alec stopped as well, helmet in a quizzical position, "Why not? It's obvious that these men were breaking the law and we have irrefutable proof of their actions. By sending this to the media, we can bypass the corrupted layers and shift the blame to the conspirators rather than the planet."

"You're talking as if you still want Earth to join you and your Council after all this."

"I have no choice at this point. The one thing I can do now is smooth relations for all the parties. That, and beat to death a man who I once called a friend."

"Kinda dark there," Kasumi said nervously. "You have a plan for getting to him?"

"I'll improvise," Alec growled as he shouldered open the door that blocked their path. They walked out into what looked like a parking garage. Yellow lights hung from the ceiling and they could hear the faint whine of sirens from outside.

Alec nodded, "First, we need to acquire transport."

"Already on it," the thief said as she moved towards a row of motorcycles. Hopping on a yellow Kawasaki Ninja, she expertly pried the panel off and worked at some of the wires to get the machine started.

Alec laughed in surprise, "No offense, Kasumi, but I don't think two people are going to fit on that thing considering how much crap I'm wearing. I was thinking of maybe-"

He stopped talking as soon as he realized that they were being watched. Both he and Kasumi noted a man standing in the corner next to an elevator, dressed in leathers, holding a key as he had obviously been making his way toward one of the bikes. What a brilliant stroke of luck.

Alec instantly brought his pistol up to bear at the man, "Keys. Now."

"What?" the man said, clearly shocked. "B-B-but, I…I don't…"

"Now, goddamn it!" Alec shouted. "Don't make me get out my anal probe!"

The man shrieked and fled, tossing the keys to the side as he turned tail. Alec, eliciting a chuckle, picked the keys off from the damp ground. The rubber insert read "MV Agusta" and there was only one bike in the lot that fit that description. He walked over to it and swung a leg over the superbike, reintroducing himself to the familiar feel.

The MV Agusta F3 was one of the sleekest bikes ever made. The Italian design was angular and hard, its contours insectoid. It was a dream bike for Alec, one that he was confident that he would never get to experience. Then again, he had convinced himself once that he would never leave the confines of his own planet. Things do change.

He placed the key in the slot and felt the bike rumble with power and passion. He felt a surge of adrenaline rush through him as the red and white bike pulsed with a familiar vibe. Kasumi, having gotten her Ninja started, nodded to Alec.

"You want to follow me?"

"Just don't get shot," Alec replied.

With a grin, she gunned the bike up the ramp, Alec shortly following suit. The gate blocking exit to the surface was down but Kasumi simply smashed right through it. Not like they were going to be inconspicuous with their mode of transport, anyway.

Their bikes made a few quick turns until they were on a road that Alec read was East Capitol Avenue. They had quickly passed all of the government buildings and were now in a residential neighborhood. Contrary to the pristine streets of downtown, this area was in disrepair and was in considerable squalor. Kasumi braked so that Alec could catch up.

"It doesn't look like anything in the films!" she said, voice appearing through his helmet, referencing the neighborhood.

"Fun fact," Alec grinned. "D.C. is notorious for having a huge gang problem."

"Interesting, seeing how that's the least of our worries."

Alec shook his head. He was actually enjoying the sensation of being on a bike again. Considering the fact that it was about thirty years since he last rode one, he wasn't doing too badly. Guess the old adage was true, you never do forget.

Still amazed that they hadn't caught up to any resistance yet, they shot their bikes forward, passing Nationals Park and crossing over the Anacostia River. They crossed left onto the 295, the Baltimore-Washington Expressway.

"This takes us all the way there," Kasumi said. "It's a straight shot."

"Until we hit traffic," Alec grimaced.

Taking into account the high speed that they were traveling, he was proven right as immediately they came across a sea of red taillights as it twisted up the forested drive. Alec, now taking the initiative, swerved his bike onto the left shoulder and continued driving, Kasumi right behind. They had gone perhaps maybe half a mile before sirens popped out from the traffic and an unmarked police car gave chase.

Alec dropped back as Kasumi surged ahead. He had the shields and he had a lesser chance at getting hurt. He grabbed his Locust as the Ford Taurus drew closer. The car was most likely calling for reinforcements but he couldn't stop that fact. What he could do was slow them down.

Aiming down, he depressed the trigger of the submachine gun, bullets tearing into the front of the car, smashing the radiator and puncturing the engine block. The car immediately died and flipped over as one of its wheels exploded, lights smashing everywhere as it impacted with the ground. Alec surveyed the damage behind him. Non-fatal, easily survivable. He was somewhat satisfied, he wanted to put off injuring policemen as long as possible but now things were only going to get more difficult.

"No time for regrets," he said to himself, suddenly raising his voice. "Kasumi, we've got to move!"

In response, she flicked the throttle and raced at an ever faster pace. Trees were rushing by at a hundred miles an hour, the parked cars were beginning to blur in one colorless mass of metal. Alec leaned his body forward, concentrating on the tiny sliver of road in front of them, trying to avoid getting into a high speed collision.

The force wasn't making it easy on him as two cars now pulled in front behind the tree line. Alec and Kasumi both produced their weapons in earnest and aimed for the front of the cars. Both cars sparked as the bullets punched through the thin metal and started to flare as the gas ignited. The officers were now getting out of their cars and taking shots at the fleeing pair. This was not looking good and they still had a little more than five miles to go.

He jerked his foot to change up and the bike jumped in his hands. There was now an ever increasing sound of sirens to add to the muscular din that was overpowered by his motorcycle. But there was a faint rumble that he could hear, the kind only produced by a hefty diesel engine. Both Kasumi and Alec continued to speed forward, towards the noise as Alec prepared for what was around the next corner.

Suddenly, across the forested median, a huge black Caiman burst through and nearly sideswiped Alec's bike. The lumbering vehicle instead smashed into a nearby car and proceeded to flatten it, sending scraped metal everywhere.

"I think we got their attention," Alec commented.

The road was getting windier and the bikes were starting to slow as a result. The Caiman, on the other hand, had no such trouble keeping up in the grass, its huge axles powering through the changing terrain. A banging noise told Alec that there was a turret atop the damn thing and that the spattering and cracking of metal and glass told him that its aim wasn't that far off the mark.

He waved at Kasumi to go on ahead while he dodged to the left, into the traffic onto the other side. He would be harder to hit that way and he couldn't be pursued easily. Unfortunately, he misjudged how relentless his pursuers turned out to be as the enormous truck simply barged into the melee, pushing or running over cars, some with civilians still trapped inside. The turret was still firing at him but the bullets were also hitting innocent vehicles. Many windows frosted with blood as the bullets strayed from their original target.

Furious, Alec wheeled his bike around, facing the monster as it finally cleared the line of traffic, now on the grassy side. Alec gunned his engine, racing towards the Caiman. Dirt and grass exploded around him, the turret was having a hard time tracking his weaving movements.

"Oh well," Alec gritted as he aimed the bike head on. The driver didn't seem to care. After all, what chance did a bike have against an armored Caiman?

Alec quickly put his feet on the F3's seat in a crouching position and _leaped_, clearing the last distance as the Caiman sent the motorcycle flying in a torrent of plastic and glass. Alec shouted as he made contact with the front grill but he held on for dear life as the vehicle was gaining its speed back. He growled as he slowly clambered his way onto the front. The soldier manning the turret sounded in panic as he hastily adjusted his sights and turned the gun to the front.

Alec, still crouching on the hood, drew his pistol and let off a single shot. The soldier's head burst in a mass of flying chunks of brain, the brief outline of a skull peering through the red. Alec now inched forward so that he was face to face with the driver. The man behind the glass locked eyes with him, unflinching. The glass was bulletproof, there was no way he could get to him in his position.

What the soldier did not realize is that the glass was rated for conventional Earth weapons, not the higher velocity Paladin Alec currently pointed. Three shots rang and three holes cracked in the supposedly impervious glass as blood splattered the paneling beyond. Alec kicked at the window and it dislodged. He pushed it to the side as he swung himself in the cabin. He grasped the door handle and flung the now dead driver out the open door. That was pretty much the best that he deserved.

He studied the controls in front of him. It wasn't that hard to discern, more like driving a real big car. Although, in retrospect, he would do less damage than the unfortunate individuals who, as of a minute ago, had utilized the vehicle in question. He saw a yellow blur to his left, a smiling Kasumi was keeping pace with him as they drove.

Alec beckoned to her, "Get in!" As if she'd been practicing for years, she maneuvered her Ninja to the closest step and simply stepped off, leaving the bike to flip end over end now that it lost its center of gravity. She took Alec's outstretched hand and clumsily climbed over him to sit in the passenger seat.

"That…was…incredible," she breathed. "How did you know you could do that?"

"I'm asking myself the same question, honestly."

"Wow," she mouthed. She was clearly in awe until she stiffened in her chair. "You'd think they'd make these seats more comfortable."

"Is that really the only thing on your mind?" Alec sighed.

"Might as well be a little glib about the whole affair," she defended. "I'm not saying it's going to be- oh, turn right here."

Alec glanced back to the road as she pointed. To the right was a sign marked "NSA – Next Right" but it quickly faded from view as the Caiman, having no room to maneuver between the forest and the traffic, simply ran it over. Alec gave an exaggerated shrug to Kasumi who imitated the movement.

The highway up ahead was turning into a cloverleaf formation but the exit was just before that. The road was completely empty which mean that Alec could steer the tall, clumsy truck back onto the road. As the road widened, the main building suddenly appeared through the trees to the right, the tall, foreboding destination that was the end of the road.

Alec tightened his gaze as he drove through the gate blocking access, no doubt sending several alarms flaring throughout the installation. But, as far as he could tell, the parking lot was completely deserted. Not a single car left behind, which was odd. But, in his favor, it left a clear line to the door.

Alec didn't even bother with such niceties. He savagely turned the wheel so that the Caiman bashed through the metal barrier and headed straight for the main entrance. Kasumi eyed what the huge armored man was doing.

"Not going to slow down?"

"Not really," came the tired reply.

"We're not going to park?"

The helmet slowly turned in her direction as the truck continued to speed towards the building, "I'd buckle up if I were you."

Scrambling for her belt, Alec floored it and the gap between the two objects closed rapidly. The stone bollards that blocked the entrance to the facility were just as easily smashed aside, although the impact jostled the occupants a bit, causing Kasumi to bite her tongue. The Caiman continued on forward, smashing through the paned glass and into the stone lobby. The desk at the front was obliterated as ten tones of solid steel disturbed the foundation of the NSA itself. Grinding to a halt, the engine sat idling, still waiting for input. You had to admire its construction, it was one tenacious bastard.

Both of them grasped for the latches and hopped down from the truck. They walked around to the front as they surveyed the damage. Their pulse was racing, never before had they been so destructive in their lives. Although, in Alec's case, it did provide a good outlet to vent.

"Is Anthony still here?" Alec asked.

Kasumi brought up her mini-pad, "Uh-huh, still in the same office. Which is good because-"

Sparks flew up and down the vehicle's side as Alec quickly tackled Kasumi out of harm's way. The ricochet of bullets was filling the air as both crawled underneath the chassis, trying to get to cover. Standing up on the other side, their position was quickly flanked as the same black and beige troops were now offloading from the elevators and stairs beyond. It was a hopeless situation and they both knew it. But right now, they had passed that point and could only press forward from here.

Alec and Kasumi both drew their Locusts, raking them across, causing blood to fountain in the air as several soldiers crumpled. Alec backed away, using bursts to keep his assailants at bay. They were now near the back of the Caiman but they still had no discernable cover. The nearest fortifiable position was a few meters near the entrance, provided by the remains of the granite desk they had just run over.

"You're going first," Alec gestured. "I'll stay behind and cover you and then we'll switch off."

"Don't keep me waiting, old man," she grinned.

"You watch your mouth." Alec sprung from behind cover, body shielding Kasumi as she sprinted to the nearby mess of boulders and pockmarked columns. Alec's shots were precise and quick, five soldiers were felled by shots to the head and chest, body armor doing absolutely nothing. However, Alec's shields were flaring as hundreds of rounds slammed into him. He staggered back, trying to use the Caiman as some form of cover but by that time, eight more soldiers had rounded the truck, also spraying him with fire. Kasumi had made it to the cover at this point, skidding on her side as she was shielded from the troopers line of sight.

"You asked for it," Alec growled as he clicked a switch on his gauntlet. Bringing it back towards the front, he gripped in a fist and a gout of flame whooshed out of a nozzle embedded in his armor. He waved the flamethrower back and forth a bit, driving the troopers back, some screaming in pain from the intense heat. He presumed that their outfits were fireproof but that didn't mean that it was any comfortable to actually be on fire. He kept up the flames for a few more seconds until the shooting on that end stopped. Contented, he then followed Kasumi towards where her Locust was spattering liberally.

Alec felt a pressure on his back and he gasped. He looked at his shields and they were at forty percent. Some rounds were starting to penetrate and he didn't even know how many enemies were left. His leg twinged and he collapsed on the ground. He rolled on his back, snarling, as he gripped his Locust and Paladin in both hands, dropping men like they were flies as he yelled over the cacophony of shots and screams.

His shields were still taking a beating, he was now at twenty five percent. He struggled to rise but a new volley forced him back to his knees again. With every bullet, he felt like he was getting hit with a hammer. He shut his eyes as pain shot all over his body. It was overwhelming him. Kasumi's mouth was agape as she tried to scramble out of cover but near misses chewed up the stone she took cover behind and she whirled away as the dust got into her eyes, crying out.

He struggled to bring his weapon around when it was suddenly torn from his grasp, shot away. His head reared backwards as a bullet impacted. Shields at fifteen percent. He gasped in pain as, with finality, he groped for a small, round object on his belt. He looked down at the cluster grenade as he hit the dead man's switch, silently counting down from ten. The large ball he held suddenly broke into several, all rolling away into the swarm.

_It's her mission now. She can do it._

Electricity smeared across his vision as Alec's helmet rose towards Kasumi, his unseen mouth in a smile as he lay there on all fours. Kasumi watched in horror as the man was slowly getting taken apart before her eyes and saw the tiny, pulsing, red objects that were now strewn across the room.

"Kasumi," Alec coughed. "Go get him."

She recoiled in horror, "Alec, wait! Don't do th-"

It was as if an orange light had been placed right in front of her face. There was nothing at first, but then a huge wave of pressure, its origin from the center of the room burst outward, slamming into her. She was knocked on her back, blinded, and then deafened as a thunderous boom overloaded all her senses at once. She shut her eyes, screaming, as an unimaginably _hot_ wave washed over her. And suddenly, as quickly as it had come, it left.

She sputtered, wiping her face free of the dirt and grit as she slowly sat up. She reached for her Locust, the white exterior now marred by streaks of grey and black. She looked at the center of the room, trying to peer through the smoke to see a hint of black armor, some sign of the huge human.

But, as the room cleared, her breath caught in her chest as she gasped. The entire area looked like it had been ravaged by a miniature war. Craters were spread all over, stray body parts were strung about, intestines lay on the floor, blood splattered the walls.

In the center, however, where it had all taken place, was nothing. No trace of life in any conceivable form.

Alec was gone.

* * *

_**The rest of the chapters might come at a later time or could even be delayed a day. **_

_**But at this current pace, it looks like it will get finished this week, so there is that!**_


	13. Chapter 12: The Wrong Planet

The krogan roared as he wheeled the turret around in the Kodiak, aiming behind the craft as he fired at their pursuers. The wind was rushing into the craft, buffeting everyone around in the chilly draft.

In the cockpit, Dayrl was adjusting the controls as he skimmed low above the Maryland forests. The shuttle nearly collided with a few of the reaching branches but the quarian expertly maneuvered around them. Next to him, Vaeri was fiddling with the secondary controls, aiming the forward cannons at whatever was blocking their way.

"Two contacts, Vaeri," Dayrl said. "Position one."

"On it, bro," she smiled. The cannons at the front adjusted slightly and boomed twice. Two black dots puffed gently in front of them as two helicopters fell from the sky in flames. Evidentially, the Kodiak had the range and the targeting advantage over their Earth counterparts. She adjusted the position of the guns as she scanned for more targets.

Wrex, however, was having the time of his life. As a heavily armored Pave Hawk came up alongside the craft, he would simply spray the chopper with the turret that he was controlling, shredding it instantly. If one came up the other side, he only needed to bark a warning to the cockpit, who would then turn the ship and maintain the same direction and speed, allowing Wrex a clear shot at the bastards.

Tali, Garrus, and Liara could only hold on and pray as the motion dampeners lessened the jerky movements of the craft. If the Kodiak did not have the specialized mass effect fields, then they probably would have either broken their backs from the turbulence or have just fallen out altogether.

But it was the navigation and piloting of Vaeri and Dayrl that was currently keeping everyone alive. Dayrl, funnily enough, was demonstrating the type of exuberant flying that only the best aces in the fleet could hope to achieve. Tali had never seen this side of her son before and had a curious thought about his little unseen facet.

Next to her, Garrus suddenly cursed, tapping at his omni-tool in desperation, "_Spirits_…come back…piece of shit…"

"Garrus?" Tali asked, alarmed. "What?"

"Tali…I…" Garrus' face was drooping, his eyes wide with disbelief. "I…lost Alec's tracker."

"What does that _mean_?" her voice rose.

Garrus shook his head, "Tali…these trackers run on a tightband frequency. There's no way that I could lose the signal, unless…"

Tali could only stare at him behind her visor. Garrus noted that the glowing eyes did not change in shape, only her posture which seemed to slump slightly. He desperately wanted to say more but he could not find any words of comfort at the moment.

Tali turned her head away, "Machines break…he doesn't."

"Tali, we might have to consider…"

"We might have to consider _nothing_," she growled. "I can't…I _won't_ accept that fact until I see for myself. Where did you lose the signal?"

Garrus gulped at her stubbornness, "The same…the same place we're heading, still a hundred miles out."

"Then we're still going there," she said with a forceful nod. "We're going and we will find him. I'm not giving up on Alec yet."

Wrex was laughing in the background as a brief flare of orange blossomed outside. Liara was wincing at the krogan's joy, Dayrl and Vaeri were working out maneuvering strategies in the front, and Garrus sighed as he deactivated his omni-tool. The choice had been made, now all he could do was hope to see a crazy human waiting at the end of the tunnel. It might have been a foolish hope, but it's all he dared to see at this point.

Beside him, Tali set to work loading her shotgun, her breathing slow and steady as she refused to let any tears fall, unseen.

_Don't do this to me, Alec. I can't go through this again. You better be there._

* * *

Kasumi's stood, gaping, at the smoldering pile of ash in the room. Soot streaked her face, as did a few angry red spots from the burns she had accrued from the explosion. Numbly, she walked over to the far end of the room, her feet kicking up grey clouds of dust as she shuffled them along. The wrecked hulk of the Caiman was overturned to her right, having finally suffered enough. She shut her eyes as she passed through the devastated corpses of the Generation V soldiers.

Her foot squished and she instinctively looked down. She almost heaved as she realized that she'd been standing on a grey tube of intestine, the blood smearing around her boot. She breathed heavily in through her nose and out through her mouth, trying to avoid the rising feel from the pit of her stomach. She could hear slight groaning coming from the lit hallway of the stairwell. Curiosity getting the better of her, she moved quickly towards the sound, daring to hope to see a familiar face.

She scowled as she saw a beige soldier stirring, back propped up against a pillar. The man was clutching the stump of an arm as the cauterized wound slowly oozed blood. The man caught her gaze for a second and both said nothing, each silently acknowledging the other. With tears in her eyes, Kasumi drew her Locust and released a three round burst at point-blank range. Half of the man's face was torn off from the barrage and he slumped as broken pieces of his skull deformed.

"That was for Alec, you bastards," she whispered.

Hands fumbling in her pocket, she withdrew her minipad and saw that her target was, incredibly, still in the same room as before. She slid it back, her eyes hard, mind sharp. She needed to repay a debt, might as well get it done sooner rather than later.

She took the stairs three at a time as she ascended to the third floor, her movements quick and nimble. She cautiously opened the door and checked in both directions down the carpeted hallway. No movement in sight. Holding her submachine gun in front of her, she cautiously padded down as the door in question lay on her left as she approached.

Trying to not make a sound, Kasumi twisted the knob and opened the door, gun at the ready. She was now in a small reception area, with a brown desk to the side and a couple of plush chairs in the center. Looking past, she saw another door, this one wooden, although the plate on the front read "Director of the NSA – Lt. Gen. Palmquist." She smiled as she leveled the Locust at the door itself, preparing to rake the fire across, killing the occupant inside. She smiled with certitude, she would be the one to put it all right. Not bad for a former thief.

There was a loud report as the door splintered, a single hole protruding from the oak door. But Kasumi had not fired. She jerked in place as she felt something small impact with her stomach. Her breath was forcefully expelled from her body and she felt herself falling to the ground, hood askew. She coughed as her Locust tumbled out of her grip, out of arm's reach, hands floundering as she tried to ascertain the damage to her body, her breathing ragged and uneven.

The wooden door's knob turned and a large figure in a white buttoned shirt and dark pants came from behind it. In his hand, he held a large revolver, barrel smoking as he lowered it to his side. The man slowly took his time as he approached the fallen, crumpled form of Kasumi Goto, mouth in a cruel smile.

"I have to admit," Anthony said. "I was a little disappointed when I saw all that down there. Alec really did his damnedest to get to me, didn't he?" The man seemed to be enjoying himself in the madness of the situation, "And then he goes and blows himself the fuck up. I mean, after all that, and to fall so short of his goal. That _is_ depressing."

Kasumi couldn't speak as a bubble of blood started to form on her lips, bursting in the air. Anthony tilted his head at her as he laughed, "Of course, I'm quite curious that you're here, Ms. Goto. Don't look so surprised, we've been keeping tabs on you the entire time you were here. Infiltrating restricted quarters, aiding and abetting, massive property damage, not to mention the staggering loss of life you left in your wake."

"Nothing…about…sensitive documents?" she smiled weakly.

Anthony frowned, "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Tertiary…Protocol. Generation…V," she coughed.

Anthony's face was aghast, "Goddamn it, you saw those files. You know, I had thought that I had deleted them but apparently you are even more resourceful than I thought. It doesn't matter as you won't be able to do anything with them now."

Kasumi laughed, "I…didn't have them. _Alec_ did…before he sent them off…"

"Sent them?" Anthony's mouth dropped. "_Where_? Tell me, you little bitch!"

Kasumi laid her head back as she relaxed. "Everywhere," she whispered.

Anthony growled as he aimed the revolver at the downed thief's head. He wanted this over immediately, there was still time to salvage this debacle. He only needed to get in front of a camera to put a spin on the whole situation before the media jumped to their own conclusions.

There was a slight thumping noise and then the glass from the neighboring office exploded outward as something ran through it. Anthony tried to swing his weapon around but could not tell what was going on until he felt a mass strike his jaw and he was propelled to the ground, revolver clattering back into his office. He then felt strong hands lift him up by the shirt as the shimmering substance that constituted his assailant suddenly crackled and gave shape and form to a black and red armored humanoid as the active camouflage dissipated. The figure brought his helmet close as it gave a whisper.

"I haven't fallen yet."

Alec then roared as he shoved Anthony back into his office, causing the man to land hard on his side against his desk. Alec stalked after him and drove a fist down that he barely had time to avoid, the impact breaking through the wood. The armored man straightened and lashed a backhand across Anthony's face, causing him to jerk backward as he was now up against the wall. Not slowing down, a fist was savagely planted in his gut and another blow was placed against his head. Anthony cried out as Alec kicked a nearby chair over in frustration, the other man scurrying away back towards his desk.

Amused, Alec followed as Anthony grabbed a bottle from a nearby cabinet. Alec stopped, waiting for him to make the move. After some hesitation, his opponent stutter-stepped in and brought the bottle down upon his helmet with a sickening crack, glass shattering in all directions, liquid dripping off his suit.

Alec, unflinching and unhurt, lifted his arms to discern what had now coated him. "Not much use for the scotch now," he quipped.

Anthony spat, "I wouldn't be so sure about that." From his coat pocket, he produced a lighter. Alec realized what was about to happen but stood in place, letting Anthony think he had the upper hand. With a flick, the silver lighter flared and was then tossed in his direction, hitting the shoulder of the Terminus armor. Alec's upper body was now wreathed in flames but still he stood, basking in the slight warmth, fireproof armor shielding him.

Anthony was now gaping at the hellish demon before him. Completely covered in fire, Alec looked like an angel of death, the specter of his destruction. With a cruel laugh, the figure strode across and punched Anthony in the face. He howled as the flaming fist made contact with his cheek, flesh singed beneath. The flaming man was now advancing, arms whirling as he threw punch after punch, flames trailing behind. A deadly blow impacted with the drywall behind him, plunging his arm through but still he shrugged it off. Grabbing his shirt, Alec hit the man again and again, feeling the hard muscles and tendons give every time he made contact.

The flames had finally engaged the sprinkler systems at this point and now water was cascading from the ceiling in cones. The fire on his body extinguished, Alec hefted Anthony's limp body and placed him across the wet desk.

"Why?" Alec hissed. "Why did you do it?"

Anthony spat blood at Alec's faceplate, dribbling off the slick surface, "Because humans don't deserve to be second rate! No matter what you try to pass yourself off as, you're not one of us! You didn't understand what this meant!"

"Of course I did!" Alec yelled. "I saw humanity's true face when they pushed against what they feared. You didn't have to attack us! We presented you with a fair offer so why fight?"

"You mean…after you threatened to destroy us? Don't blame us for this, _you_ were the one who pushed first! You! You told us that you would burn the planet if we didn't cooperate."

"That was misconstrued and you know it! I only was providing a warning should you have chosen any wise ideas, now look how that ended up."

"Look how it ended up?" Anthony roared. "Look at _you_! You're standing right here, tearing down everything you once swore to defend. You're attacking your countrymen, panicking the nation, for what? Because you were only thinking with your dick when you were boning that…_thing_ you call your wife?"

Alec punched Anthony in the face, making his head rebound against the desk, "Don't you ever disrespect her again. She was maimed in that attack that you sent after us, Anthony. She got her fucking leg blown off!"

"Boo hoo," Anthony snarled sarcastically. "I'll be sure to send some flowers."

Alec seethed and his fist came down on Anthony's nose. He squealed as it broke, blood squirting over his mouth. Alec was breathing hard, "If she had been killed, we wouldn't be having this discussion right now. You'd already be dead."

"Can't really say the same for your crew," Anthony mumbled.

Alec grabbed the lapels of Anthony's shirt as he brought him up off the desk, "What are you talking about?"

"Didn't I warn you that I had access to the nuclear launch function? The Tertiary Protocol is still in effect, I still hold all the executive power."

"Bullshit, there's no way that you can execute a launch now."

Anthony laughed, "You misunderstand. I gave the order when you unceremoniously crashed your truck through the lobby."

Alec felt a surge of heat flush through his body. There was a raging inferno broiling beneath the armor, he started to shake. It wasn't possible, how could he have let it come to this? The fleet was in danger because of him. His friends were in danger, _Tali_ was in danger.

Alec's heartbeat slowed as he thought, "Your order would need to go through several channels for authentication. Even though you hold all of the presidential power, there are certain safeguards that would delay the launch by about an hour."

"You are right about that, Alec," Anthony shrugged. "By my count, there are only thirty minutes left, not that you'll be able to stop it. But the question of the day is, what are you going to do about it?"

Before Alec could react, Anthony's left hand scythed forward and impacted with Alec's side. There was no pain but there was a _clunk_ as something latched on. Alec was about to ask a question when electricity seared across his body, sending him writhing to the damp floor as the sprinklers continued to rain water down. Alec jerked as the current passed through him, his helmet's HUD was going haywire, the display distorting. He grasped the edges of his helmet and yanked, tossing it away as he groped for the small EMP emitter embedded on his armor. He tore it free and sat up as he realized that Anthony had fled the room, the revolver with him.

Alec sat up, suddenly noting how heavy his armor felt now. His hydraulics weren't working, he no longer had amplified strength from his suit. His shields, active camo, and omni-sword were offline as well, they needed power from the suit to function and right now, there wasn't any.

Cursing his luck, he started to follow him out the door when he noticed Kasumi sitting with her back to the receptionist's desk. She was clutching her stomach as she slowly wheezed in pain. Alec knelt down as he approached.

"This wasn't what I had in mind."

Kasumi coughed and smiled, "You truly are a bastard. You used me as bait."

Alec hung his head apologetically, face frowning as Kasumi was now able to see his grizzled features, "I know, I know. But I had to make Anthony think that he had the advantage or else I couldn't have surprised him in that manner."

"I think…there could have been a better way," she managed.

Alec gently pried her hands away from her body to get a look at the wound. He was surprised to see that there wasn't any blood, just the tip of a slug embedded in the mesh of her suit.

"Kevlar?" he asked.

Kasumi nodded, "I take no chances, but I think a few of my ribs are broken, regardless."

"Lift up your shirt," Alec ordered. Kasumi cocked an eyebrow as she stared. Alec sighed, "There's now time for modesty now, just lift it up so that I can access the wound."

"Shouldn't…" she said as she raised the top of her suit so that the massive bruise was exposed. "Shouldn't you be going after him?"

"Later," Alec shook his head. "This is more important." Depressing a valve on his suit, he quickly and gingerly applied a swath of medi-gel to Kasumi's injuries. She hissed as the gel stung when it contacted but she gritted her teeth and held on. She continued to breathe heavily for a few more seconds before Alec patted her on the shoulder, "It should be better in a few minutes."

Kasumi then started to relax as she slumped against the desk, "Alec?"

"Yes, Kasumi?"

"When," she breathed slowly. "When this is over…can you take me with you? Please…I want to go..."

Alec frowned, realization spreading across his face, "So..._that's_ why you were helping me. All this time you wanted a way in with us."

"I have nowhere else to go," she pleaded. "I don't want to stay here...I mean, look at you. You have it all figured out, you're...living my wildest dreams. I only want to be able to experience what you have. To get away...from this planet..."

Alec stood as he gripped her hand firmly as he echoed the words a turian once said to him, "If a human wants to come with us, then it has its priorities in order. You can come, Kasumi. I don't know of anyone else on this world that's deserved it."

She smiled, but quickly winced in pain, causing Alec to point a finger, "But no dying here, understood?"

"Understood…_captain_," she slid across the floor her minipad, the device still showing the location of Anthony.

"That's it," Alec said gently as he moved toward the door, pocketing the slate. "You going to be okay if I leave?"

"I don't think anything else could take my mood away. When I recover, I'll join up with you."

"That's the spirit."

* * *

The Kodiak lurched as it dove for the riverbed, two choppers in hot pursuit. A brief explosion outside the door knocked Wrex back in the cabin, causing him to land on his back. Springing back up, he roared a challenge and manned the turret again to cover the skies with high-velocity rounds.

"Um…Dayrl," Vaeri said in concern. "You don't think we're a little close to the ground?"

"Not in the slightest," Dayrl said with some levity. "You think we can go lower?"

"Don't you dare."

In response, her brother flicked the craft upward as it passed over a bridge, causing one of the helicopters following right behind to lift suddenly, having not seen the structure before. The tail rotor got caught on the concrete and it flipped in the air to land in the dry creek below.

"Absolutely insane…" Vaeri muttered.

"Runs in the family," Dayrl shot back.

Back in the main area of the shuttle, Garrus was holding on for dear life when his omni-tool pinged from his open application. Confusion flooded his face as he brought his arm up to read the display. His free mandible flexed in surprise.

"_Spirits_, he's back!"

"What?" Tali asked.

"Alec's back! His icon just reappeared on my map!"

Tali now tilted her head as it was her turn to be puzzled, "But…you said that the signals couldn't be lost unless…they…"

Garrus slapped his head with his free head in shame, "Oh…damn it. I completely forgot." When Tali didn't say anything he continued, "His active camouflage. Activating it doesn't just make it invisible to the naked eye, it severs _all_ outbound communications coming from the armor. It's camouflages the signal."

"Then…then that means…"

"Alec was never gone in the first place, which is a relief because-"

Tali leaped forward across the shuttle, causing Liara to cry out in surprise, as she brought her hands around the unfortunate turian's neck, squeezing it. Garrus gagged at the quarian's assault, utterly bewildered.

"Tali!" Liara shouted in shock. Wrex glanced back and gaped in surprise as he saw the scene unfold before him.

"You…utter…_asshole_!" Tali screamed. "You had me nearly worry myself to death! You knew what that camouflage function on his armor did, why didn't you think of that before!"

"I…forgot…" Garrus choked out. "I…really…did…forget…Tali…"

"That's a _fucking_ lie!" she cried. "I can't believe that I fell for it! Do you have any idea on how ashamed I feel right now?"

Wrex bounded across the shuttle as he ripped Tali's hands off of Garrus' neck before she strangled him to death. Liara dragged the turian away to further the distance between the two.

"I'm…sorry, Tali," Garrus wheezed. "I…am…sorry that I forgot about that fact. I should have remembered!"

Tali jerked in Wrex's grip but he held firm, not letting the quarian one inch towards skinning Garrus alive. "Stop it, Tali!" he growled. "That's enough! Alec is alive, which is what matters. What also matters is that I don't have to explain to him why his wife suddenly killed his best friend in front of our eyes, is that what you want?"

Tali ceased struggling, her wispy eyes drooping as she sighed, "No…he wouldn't. But that doesn't mean I'm not mad at you." She then looked to Garrus and seemed to melt in her shame, "Oh…Keelah, Garrus. I don't know what came over me…"

"I don't know either," Garrus rubbed his neck, wincing. "You have a strong grip, you know that?"

"I'm still furious at you for this…but I am very, very sorry for hurting you. Please, I…I can't believe that I would do such a thing…"

Garrus hacked up for a second, coughing, "It's no big deal, Tali. But I think I now know who's the boss in your relationship."

Despite the fact that they were evading military choppers in the middle of North America, and that everyone was in a shuttle being targeted by every single aircraft on sight, Dayrl and Vaeri shared a glance at the scene.

Vaeri tilted her head as she looked at her brother, "Mom is kind of _scary_ when she's mad, you think?"

* * *

The basement door clanged as it bit into the tile wall. Alec had kicked it in so hard that the lock had snapped, hydraulics be damned. He leaped over a small staircase as he continued further under the NSA headquarters. He could see the main hallway up ahead, brightly lit in contrast to the dark corridor he was now exiting. Something flashed across his face as a figure up a head blocked the light as he ran past. Spurred on, Alec moved faster and rounded the corner just in time to see the figure finish descending another staircase.

"Anthony!" Alec yelled. The man immediately turned, face hateful, as he whipped out his revolver and fired. Alec grunted in pain as something impacted with his side and he dropped to a knee as his target continued to flee. He gasped as he put his gauntlet to where he was shot and it came away bloody.

"Goddamn it," he groused. "Not again."

_Stupid idiot_, he had completely forgotten that his shields were disabled. This put a whole new perspective on things. He was no longer resistant to small arms fire, and on top of that, he was now helmetless so any marksman worth his salt could pick him off any day of the week now, if he gave them that chance.

Rubbing medi-gel on his side, he limped down the staircase as his omni-tool told him that Anthony was only a hundred feet ahead. He picked up his pace, despite the stabbing pain. Moving past a column, he was met with an unwelcome sight.

In front of him was a subway line, with the lights flashing as the doors started to close. There were three silver cars as the automated train began its departure sequence. He could see Anthony in the front car, smirking as he was obviously congratulating himself on his getaway. Alec did not know where the rail line went, only that he was getting on that train.

"_Stand clear of the closing doors, please_," the automatic announcer chimed as the doors began sliding shut. Alec, snarling, rushed forward as the train started to move. He covered the last few meters with ease and flung himself through the air, timing himself just right. His body smashed through the metal doors as if they were paper, cracking the glass and letting the wind from the motion of the train come rushing in. Alec grimaced as his side ached, but now the medi-gel had taken most of the edge off. He was ready enough.

Anthony, seeing the whole thing, aimed his pistol at the black-clad man lying down two cars away and pulled the trigger, sending another slug barreling towards him. Alec ducked behind a row of seats as the windows of the doors ahead shattered. He pulled out his Paladin and fired, rounds punching through the metal cleanly. He used up two more rounds as covering fire as he shoved the first set of doors aside, crouching behind the last row of chairs in the second car. He popped the thermal clip as it overheated, reaching for a new one but grasped only air. He was finally out of ammo. Anthony was now reloading as he could hear the clatter of spent cartridges rolling around the floor.

Alec cautiously moved up, pistol aimed ahead, despite it being empty. At this point he could only use it as a club but it was better than nothing. He couldn't see Anthony in this position, he needed to get closer. Suddenly, his target stood and emptied his revolver as he fired indiscriminately into the car. A light shattered overhead as a round deflected off of Alec's armor, reverberating through his body.

"Ten minutes to go, Alec!" Anthony called. "Think you can make it?"

Alec stood up in a fury and lobbed something into the next car. Anthony did not have time to react as the sonic grenade exploded mere feet away. Every window and light in the car cracked and shattered as the high-pitched burst from the device assaulted them with a powerful frequency. Anthony ducked as glass rained down upon his head, suddenly plunged into blackness as all of the lights went out. The buffeting winds from the train's velocity were scattering pieces everywhere and sent a chill up his spine.

He straightened up to see his friend hurl his fist at his face. Anthony was propelled backwards as the sickening _crack_ connected with his jaw. He fell to the ground but caught himself on a nearby seat rest. Finding an inner reserve of strength, he whirled himself around to now hit Alec solidly in the head. Alec grunted and threw up an arm to protect himself. A huge fist hit his cheek and Alec felt something give slightly. Anthony's leg was thrown up to kick him in the gut, shoving him heavily to the ground.

"You still fight like shit, Alec," Anthony panted. "You could never beat me in a straight fight."

Alec's only response was to heave a fistful of glass from where he was sitting at Anthony. Anthony turned away, covering his face with his hands to protect him from the shards and the wind. He reached for his pistol and drew it, only to have Alec _right there_ as he grasped the barrel in his hands. The two of them stood in that position as the barrel wavered back in forth in their grips. Anthony forced his muscles to the limit, the gun now starting to point at Alec. But before he could pull the trigger, Alec tensed and _pushed_, gun coming back to its original position and beyond as he slowly forced it to face Anthony. Anthony's eyes grew large as Alec forced a finger near the trigger.

"Alec, wait…we can-"

Alec squeezed the trigger with all his might and the gun boomed. Anthony screamed as the bullet passed through his shoulder, creating a large exit wound on the way out, ragged muscle spewing everywhere. Alec held the gun triumphantly and chucked it out the window.

"That was for Kasumi," he growled.

"Alec, wait!" Anthony tried again. "If you kill me, you won't be able to save your fleet. Your friends…your _wife_ will die. Let me live and I will stop it."

Alec brought a hand to his smashed cheek as he spoke slowly, "The Anthony that I knew…would never compromise his principles. Not even when he was in the minority. I…don't need you to save my family."

"Wrong answer!" Anthony leaped to his feet and began swinging with his left hand. Alec ducked the blow and rammed his elbow into the man's ribs. Yelling in pain, Anthony brought his fist down in a hammering motion, catching Alec on the head. He staggered backwards, seeing stars. As he clutched his ruined shoulder, Anthony was now baring his teeth as he slowly advanced, a predator not giving up on the hunt.

"I don't know who you are anymore," Anthony said. "But you're not Alec Lee. _He_ would understand my position perfectly. He always did…"

"I may have changed," Alec grimly replied. "But so have you." Anthony took a wild swing as he lunged towards his former friend. Alec ducked the blow and brought his right arm up in an uppercut. The actual blow missed, but the hard material of his gauntlet caught the edge of Anthony's cheek, tearing the skin in a ragged edge as the blow traveled upward. Half of his face was now shredded, colored red from the sudden onset of blood.

"For Garrus."

Anthony jerked an elbow back and it hit Alec squarely on the nose. He moaned as it broke, spewing his blood down his armor. Another kick to the hip and Alec fell down, trying to clear his clogged passageways as he breathed out. The roar of the train was now reaching its apex as the train hit its maximum speed, wherever it was going. Anthony walked forward, arm outstretched to haul Alec to his feet. A foot lashed out and connected with Anthony's knee, causing it to suddenly pop out at a different angle to the side. Anthony looked surprised as he finally collapsed, his crippled leg useless.

"For Tali."

Alec gingerly rose to his feet and strode over to where Anthony lay, who was hyperventilating in the intense pain. He grabbed him by the shirt and rested his head on a nearby seat. Alec stared at him, saddened by the fact that they had reached this point in their friendship. When each one could no longer recognize the other and see only regret at the lost memories the two had once shared.

But they were only memories.

"For me."

Alec brought his fist down on Anthony's face, throwing all of his weight behind the movement. Anthony yelled as the blow connected with his jaw again and it cracked. He barely had time to blink before the hand was upon him again, striking with the fury of a man pushed to the brink. Blows rained down upon him as each impact raised a small spurt of blood. Alec continued to pummel the man's face, blood coating his hand and chest each time to struck. A blow on the jaw, breaking it. A blow to the side of the skull, now cracked. A blow to the eye socket, detaching the cornea. Alec could no longer focus on anything else, not the pain from his ruined hand as he continued to smash it into his former friend, not the hope he held for seeing Tali possibly walk again, not the panic at deactivating the impending missile launch.

And Alec still rained down punches, even after the man in his grip had stopped gurgling. Lights from the tunnel were flickering across the ruined car, distorting the figures inside. He was numb now, he had lost all track of time and place. All he could do was swing.

"_Alec_…"

He halted with his arm about to land another blow, what was going on?

"_Never leave me again_…"

Alec exhaled as his arm lowered down to his body, Tali's voice calming him. He breathed out as warmth spread through his body. He closed his eyes and shook his head in regret. It was time to stop.

Suddenly, the body next to him let out a rasping cough, causing Alec to jerk in surprise. He was astounded that the man was still alive, let alone breathing. It didn't look like he had very long as his skull was deformed, caved in at some spots where it had been crushed. His nose was completely obliterated, sunken into the man's head as black gore streamed down from the ruined nostrils. His jaw hung at an unnatural angle, tongue lolling out as he lost all motor control.

"Finish…" the man sputtered through a mouthful of shattered teeth. "Job..."

Alec scowled, the last thing he wanted to do was to act on an order from Anthony, but this nightmare had to end sooner or later. Not hesitating any longer, he took his hands and wrapped them around Anthony's thick neck, constricting as he felt the flow of life slowly start to ebb away.

The roar from the wind overpowered any faint noises Anthony was making in his throngs. The flashing lights gave an eerie quality to Alec, hunched over his body as he slowly strangled his friend to death, his shadows leaping in all directions. A bead of sweat dripped down from Alec's broken nose, tendons were popping from his neck, and his veins pulsed on his forehead.

Anthony gargled in his grip, spit was starting to foam around his mouth, dribbling down the sides. Blood and bits of eyeball were slowly sliding down the man's face, his ruined eye hanging from a thread in its socket. His tongue was starting to move from side to side, seeking refuge from its fate.

Alec could feel tears start to fall from his face, added to the mix. He shut his eyes as Anthony's spasms became weaker and weaker. He felt a shudder through his neck, he was about to go. With a mournful wail, Alec gripped with all his might until he heard and felt a huge _snap_. Alec moaned, eyes still shut as he dragged his hands off the man's neck. He turned away, feeling the car start to slow. He didn't care, everything felt like it was in slow motion for him. He adjusted himself in a sitting position so that his back was propped up against the wall of the train. He glanced down at his hands, they were coated with red.

In a spark of clarity, he grabbed his medi-gel pack with one hand and with the other, he reached up towards his nose and _twisted_, the cartilage sliding back into place. Alec screamed at the pain, tears welling up again, but he quickly dabbed the medi-gel around his nose, feeling it numb as it worked to firmly bond it back into place.

The deed done, he dropped his arms to his side as the doors next to him opened. He didn't move, though. There was nothing to do. He didn't know where to go, where he could go. He banged his head against the wall in frustration, sighing explosively as he closed his eyes, tiredness overwhelming him.

It felt like an eternity before he heard a noise. It was a faint scurry, then a stomping of padded feet. He considered opening his eyes but decided against it. He was so relaxed in this position, he didn't want to ruin the tranquility.

"_There he is_!" came a voice.

"_Yes, I see him_!"

"_Alec! Alec!_"

The voices were calling his name. He wondered if he should call back. But there was no strength he could call upon to open his mouth. He could not find the words.

But wait, what was this? He felt himself being lifted up, several firm hands were hoisting him to his feet, carrying him out of the car. Now interested, he opened his eyes to find the world initially blurry. He could see a mass of red, hints of blue and grey, a flash of white, a touch of purple.

"_I'll take him_," one voice said. "_You get them out of the way_."

He wondered what the voice meant by "them." He felt a few of the hands leave his body as their footsteps echoed away from him. There was now the rattle of weapons fire, the screams of fallen men. He could hear shouting between two familiar voices, getting farther away as they seemed to advance into their foes. The yelling continued as he was placed on a bench, sitting down.

"_Help them out, Liara_," the voice continued. "_I'll look after him_."

Liara? That name sounded familiar. He could not put a face to the word though, as his mind clutched for straws and ended up with nothing.

His eyes finally focused as he turned his head as far to the right as he could manage without exhaling in pain. A purple visor was inches from his face, a set of familiar eyes behind its depths. He recognized her, but could not say her name.

"Alec," the figure said. "It's _me_. I'm here now, you're fine."

His eyes were sliding away now, his head returning to his original position. As much as he wanted to address her, he couldn't. There was nothing to say.

"Please, Alec," the figure seemed close to tears. "_Talk to me_. Are you hurt?"

She gently wrapped her arms around his body, one hand ruffling his hair. This was a nice sensation, the intimate motion seemed so familiar, yet so distant. He continued to gaze into space, breathing slow and shallow as he sank deeper into the abyss.

"_Alec_," she pleaded, hugging him. She sounded close to losing it, "_I love you_. I'm not leaving you here. Come back now. _I need you_."

His head was now descending in her grip so that it was on her lap. She held him closely against her body as he could feel her start to cry. Why was she sad? He was here, wasn't he? But…she sounded like she wanted more from him. What could he give? He was confused, what did she want? He started to track his eyes over what he could see. She was wearing an environmental suit, from the looks of it, draped in some type of purple cloth. For that matter, most of what she was wearing was purple, her hood was purple, the visor purple, even the boots had a purplish luster.

But that was odd. This one was wearing two boots. The last memory of this person was of her with only one leg. Why were there now two? Was he going insane? Was this a dream? He slowly reached out with an arm to touch it, confirm for himself what was real.

Fingertips made contact with a firm, but yielding surface. It was solid, he could feel it. It was real. His vision was now clearing, the fog that obstructed his vision was rapidly dissipating. But what did this mean? It meant that if the leg was real, then _she_ was real. He was with her now. He was with-

"_Tali_," Alec whispered. "I love you."

His four words unleashed a flood of emotion as the quarian threw her arms around him and now wept openly, bawling. Alec numbly snaked his arms around her lithe form and firmly squeezed her in reassurance. He gazed at the empty room as reports of gunfire echoed around him. He didn't care as he comforted his sobbing wife.

He spoke softly to her as her helmet was nuzzling his cheek, "Can you forgive me, Tali? After all this, can you forgive me?"

Her helmet slowly withdrew as she brought the front to gently rest against his forehead. She placed her hands on his cheeks, slowly rubbing the surface, a gentle caress. He could hear her breathing through her voice modulator, it was thick and husky. He saw those same pair of shining eyes, the eyes that he had fallen in love with when they first met, the only visual reference he had for her face. Her voice was a whisper as she breathed.

"_Yes_."


	14. Chapter 13: A Galaxy Expanded

The last of the bodies fell to the ground as Garrus, Wrex, and Liara cautiously moved up the corridor. The whole place stank of death, there was a salty, iron taste added to the mix. Garrus rubbed his nose, wincing at the stench.

All of them ejected their thermal clips, even if they had not been fully used yet. They had no idea if they were done with the rest of the troops in this building. He sincerely hoped so, this had gotten old immediately.

Using the beacon embedded in Alec's armor, they had tracked his progress through the subway to a building just on the outskirts of the capital. Unfortunately for them, this building happened to be located in the middle of a military airfield. Curiously, the air defenses were not online at the time and there seemed to be no one on the field at the moment. Taking advantage of the lull in the security, Dayrl had landed the Kodiak on the roof of the main building and all four of them ran off, down the stairs to find their friend.

Garrus was surprised when they finally located him. The man looked like he was near death, his head was tilted to the side and his gaze had been distant. He was completely covered in blood, some of it from what appeared to be a broken nose and the rest from the mangled body that was lying in the train car next to him that he recognized as Alec's friend, the Speaker of the House. He wanted to _say_ something to the human, ask him if he was all right until the familiar troopers burst out of a nearby hallway, causing him to rethink his plan and engaged in a fury. Tali had whisked him away quickly, he knew he would be in good hands after that. No words had been exchanged between him, Liara, or Wrex as they fired on the soldiers. Just cold, silent ferocity as they had methodically downed one man after another.

The corridor jutted off to the left slightly as the railing of a staircase came into view. All three of them gingerly proceeded down, weapons ahead as light from a nearby room gave off a faint glow. Without warning, the staircase deposited them in the middle of a huge expanse. Garrus was not prepared for what he saw and he growled in surprise.

They were atop a balcony overlooking the room, which was filled with electronic equipment. Rows and rows of monitor workstations lined the area. Huge screens adorned every wall, one displaying the entire map of countries. Atop the screen sat a sign which read, "USAFB Andrews NSA Outpost Tiger." Garrus did not know what the acronyms meant but did not give it any more thought as he lifted his rifle so that everyone could see.

There were about twelve people in the room in all, not counting themselves. The outpost was clearly meant to be manned by a skeleton staff, accessible to those with the highest clearance. Out of those twelve, only two were Generation V soldiers, their weapons twitching by their sides as they glanced around in anticipation. The rest were all wearing normal clothes, looking stunned at their position as the turian, krogan, and asari swept their weapons around. Slowly, they walked down the staircase to approach the man standing in the center of the room, who was scowling in apprehension. Garrus saw that the man's name tag, pinned on his dress blues, read "Palmquist."

"Palmquist," Garrus started. "Order your men to stand down now or I will have no choice but-"

"Drop your weapons!" he heard a voice yell. The turian turned his head, expecting to see another black soldier that he missed but instead it was just an aide. He held a small pistol in his hand and it shook in his hands as he directed it back and forth, trying to cover all three of them.

Garrus shook his head, he didn't need this. "Shut up," he spat as he plucked a mini-flashbang from his belt. When the aide's gun had twisted away from him, Garrus tossed the round ball and it hurled straight towards the human's face. His aim was better than he'd realized because it burst right in front of the man's eyes, sending white phosphorous into them, causing him to scream in pain as he dropped the gun, his body following soon after as he rubbed with his hands.

"I can't see!" he howled. "_I can't see_!"

"Harper!" Palmquist shouted, shocked. Garrus suddenly turned his pistol onto the general, causing him to stop as he was about to assist the aide.

"I just permanently blinded that man, Palmquist," Garrus growled. "I won't ask again. Tell your men to stand down now. Do it!"

"Drop them," Palmquist sighed as the clunk of rifles and pistols hit the floor soon after. Garrus now noted that on the huge screen with the countries, there was a small yellow icon with a dashed line behind it. The yellow circle was currently shown to have passed out of Earth's troposphere and was now heading up into the atmosphere. Confused, Garrus followed the dashed line as he searched for its point of origin. Apparently, in what they called the Atlantic Ocean, a ship designated the USS Wyoming was the cause of whatever was now approaching an array of red dots that he recognized as the ships of the Council fleet.

"That yellow dot," Garrus gestured. "What is that?"

The man smirked, "_That_…is a Trident II SLBM. A nuclear missile locked on to your fleet."

The boldness of this human caused Garrus to boil. He was nearing his breaking point at the brashness these humans had exhibited. To fire on the fleet was an act of war, how could they be so callous to the immense loss of life? He resisted the urge to break the man's neck right in front of him as he raised his pistol to within an inch of his forehead.

"Disarm it. Now!"

Palmquist shrugged, "I cannot. Only an order like that can come from the President, or in this case, the Speaker of the House."

"He's dead. Are you going to stall some more or do I have to take matters in my own hands?"

The general's eyes widened at the news before regaining his composure, "Then…by law executive power passes to the President pro tempore-"

"Enough!" Garrus roared, slamming the man against the nearest console. "No more excuses. Divert that missile or I will blow your brains out right here, right now!"

Palmquist trembled as his eyes met the barrel of the pistol, "I…_can't_. I don't have the codes to execute such an order…"

"Garrus," Liara was now at his side. "We don't need the code."

"What do you mean?" the turian glanced at the asari, still not moving the gun an inch.

Liara walked over to the monitor in front of the giant screen, engaging her omni-tool, "These systems are secured physically but if I introduce a crack in the interface, the advanced software will overload the firewalls and open briefly, allowing me to access the launch controls."

The board now showed an outline of a box around the yellow dot, now thousands of miles above the surface, indicating direct user control. Garrus smiled at the sight, "You just lost your bargaining chip, general."

Palmquist's color had drained from his face as he watched in horror. Liara was slumping in relief until she tilted her head in shock. "Garrus," she said. "We have a problem."

Now Garrus was getting annoyed at the shift in mood, "What now?"

"The missile access…it isn't mine. Someone else must have overridden it before me." She tapped several keys on her omni-tool but the screen failed to show any change.

"If you don't have it, then who does?"

"_I_ do…Vakarian," came a grating voice.

All three of them whirled to spot the new figure perched on the balcony. Draped in grey armor, arm wreathed in an orange glow, as he came down the stairs, was Saren Arterius.

"Saren?" Garrus was dumbstruck. "What the _hell_?"

"I told you, Vakarian," the spectre drawled. "That I would follow you down to this planet if you continued to disobey my orders. It seems my help was greatly needed in this case, so I thank you for that."

"That was not your call to make, Arterius. You're not my captain."

"And in the absence of your captain, I am in command!"

"We are part of Alec's command team and you have no jurisdiction over us. I have been a spectre longer than you, you little prick. You're not going to leave my ass in the fire again!"

"On the contrary," Saren waved his arm. "I am the one with the power now." He fiddled with his tool and the yellow dot changed course. Garrus tilted his head in worry. The fleet was no longer being targeted, which was a good thing, but now a single red dot appeared on what looked like the eastern coast of this country, further to the north and on a small island in a bay.

"What are you doing?" Liara asked.

"Scans of this planet show that this is the highest populated area of the country. Conveniently, it is also a stone's throw from where we are now. These humans thought they could attack us and get away with it. Now they pay the ultimate price."

Garrus' jaw dropped, "Damn it, Arterius. Can't you see it's over? We don't need to punish the humans any more, this isn't what we came here for?"

"_What we came here for_?" the spectre intoned. "You deliberately deployed on a planet bearing weapons and have killed hundreds of their countrymen in the span of two hours. You revel in the death of many and now you grow a conscience when I demand blood for blood? I expected more from you, Vakarian."

Wrex growled and started to lower his shotgun but Saren backed up towards the staircase, pistol in his right hand, "Don't even think about it, krogan. You need to learn your place. To sit in the corner, docile and obedient."

The krogan bared his teeth in a snarl. The yellow dot was now fast approaching the tiny red dot. The humans in the room were now starting to murmur in worry. Palmquist was jerking back in forth in panic.

Garrus stepped forward, "Saren. For the last time, don't do it."

"You sound like a malfunctioning VI," the turian laughed as he was now back on the balcony, overlooking the scene. "I don't care what you want, Vakarian. These apes need to learn where they stand in this galaxy if they ever want to realize their potential."

"You're just sabotaging them so that never happens!"

Saren's mandibles parted in a cruel smile, "That is correct, Garrus. But beyond your concern because there is nothing you can do to stop me!"

A huge boom rocked the whole room as everyone ducked for cover, thinking that the rogue spectre had fired. Garrus glanced up to see a burst of blue blood spew from Saren's left side, his arm falling to the ground, severed. The maimed turian teetered on the guardrail as a three-toed boot connected with his back, flipping him end over end to land head first on the hard ground from the tall balcony.

"Not if I have anything to say about it, _bosh'tet_."

Tali stepped out onto the metal grating where Saren once stood, shotgun smoking as she surveyed the scene. Garrus' jaw dropped even further as he saw the quarian confidentially stride down the steps towards Saren. She pumped the gun in her hands as she aimed it at the turian's head. Liara rushed over to check for signs of life.

"_Goddess_," she whispered. "He's still alive."

"Want me to put him out of his misery?" Tali asked, adjusting herself.

Liara shook her head, "He's not dying, he's in a coma, from the looks of the scan. With the amount of blood he's lost he would be in deep shock if he already wasn't in this state."

"So is that a yes or a no?"

Liara glared at the quarian, "We can't just _kill_ him. We probably won't need to as the combination of his injuries will most likely result in some acute memory loss." Tali lowered her gun at the asari's words, listening to her reason. Liara stopped and did a double take, "Wait…Saren's not holding onto the connection with the missile anymore yet the display still states that someone has maintained connection, who-?"

"I am."

Liara and Tali glanced up as Alec slowly and deliberately climbed down the steep steps, omni-tool at the ready. He looked like he just crawled out of a literal bloodbath, his voice was weak, he had a pronounced limp, but he stood all the same, confident look in his eyes.

Alec walked over to the screen as he gazed up at it. The missile was still heading on its present course, New York City, he noted. But he made no motion to change it, even though he had less than three minutes until detonation. He slowly turned around to face Palmquist for the first time.

"You were there the first night," he said. "With Anthony…the director of the NSA."

"I don't mean to be rude," Palmquist said weakly. "But would you mind diverting that thing before you kill millions of your own kind?"

Alec laughed quietly, "That's a good one, general. '_My own kind_.' That was the topic that has always been in question the second I stepped back onto this planet. Whether or not I was always loyal to Earth." He turned away and started to walk towards the screen, "You know, I loved this place once. I had believed that I would never leave it as I was always told that this was the only planet I could call home. That turned out to be a complete lie. I have seen the nature of this world compared to the entire galaxy. There are many redeeming traits about humanity, but it still has to embrace them if they want to grow and mature as a species. I genuinely do believe that humanity can accomplish that feat."

The timer now read two minutes left but Alec still spoke, "But as much as I hate to admit it, Saren did have a point. In light of the evidence presented to you, you failed to comprehend the consequences of your actions. You needlessly sent men to their deaths, general. You practically ordered them to die for their country because you erroneously thought that we were a threat to you. You wanted to shove this problem away instead of face it head on! You are a _coward_, general!"

"The…the missile," Palmquist stammered. Tali was shifting from foot to foot, getting agitated. Garrus and Liara were both gaping in astonishment. Wrex's eyes were wide in anticipation.

"Look at what you made me do!" Alec screamed. "What have I done! I killed more humans today in one sitting than anyone ever has on this planet! I will be known as the biggest mass murderer the world has ever known! All because of you and your failed demonstration to prove to yourselves that you were the ones swinging the biggest stick in the room."

Alec glanced back toward the clock where only a minute remained, the yellow dot getting closer to the surface, "Why _not_ let the missile hit, general? It would be a poignant reminder of your mistake. Millions of lives extinguished? Fuck them. When I'm done here, the remainder will be on your head, not mine."

"Please," Palmquist fell to his knees as the clocked ticked past thirty seconds. "I'm _begging_ you…I will do anything you ask…just don't kill them…"

Alec let a smile slowly work its way across his face, "I believe you, Palmquist. And do you know why? Because I am human, just like you."

Alec let his finger fall across one of the buttons on his omni-tool. Instantly, the yellow dot on the screen vanished, only the dotted line left in its wake remained, projecting its path through space. A tiny text box popped up which read "Missile Abort." Alec closed the tool as he nodded with finality, "They are still alive, despite your actions, general. Know that."

Palmquist opened his mouth, perhaps to curse at him, perhaps to thank him when a black fist lashed out and hit near the bottom of his jaw. The director was flung to the side as his body flopped like a rag doll. Alec clutched his hand as he grimaced in pain.

"You're taking the fall today. Someone has to pay."

Without looking back, he purposefully strode towards the staircase, clambering up the steps one at a time, wincing as he did so. The rest of his squad followed him up, Wrex throwing the limp form of Saren over his side. His friends tried to help him ascend but were rebuffed every time. He finally relented when a familiar presence was forced by his side, taking an arm. He looked at Tali who gave a subtle shake of her head and he surrendered, letting her guide him up the stairs to reach the roof, where the Kodiak was waiting.

The wind roared across, making him shut his eyes from the debris being blown into his face. With Tali's help, he stumbled into the waiting cabin of the shuttle and glanced over to his left and blinked in surprise.

"Kasumi? How did you get here so fast?"

The thief gave a small grin, "Practice. You should know better than to question me by now."

"Point taken."

"Wait," Garrus held up a hand. "Who's this and is she really coming with us?"

"Sorry, you giant turkey," the woman said. "You're stuck with me for the rest of the way. Kasumi Goto."

Garrus eyes widened for confirmation from Alec who merely shrugged, "She's coming Garrus, at least be nice and introduce yourself."

"Why are you making me do this?" Garrus groaned.

"Because you get along so well with humans, now give her your name and stop stammering like a teenager."

As Garrus began his awkward introduction, Alec happened to glance forward at the cockpit where he saw two new, but familiar faces staring at him.

"You've got to be kidding me," he turned to Tali. "You brought the _kids_ with you?"

"They kind of stowed away," she said defensively. "They also brought up the convincing argument of rescuing their idiot father. You see what kind of role model you are?"

Vaeri was waving slightly to him in greeting as Dayrl gaped. Alec moved across the craft to give each one a clumsy one-armed hug.

"Dad," Dayrl pointed out. "You're covered in blood."

"I know son," he sighed. "You should see the other guy."

"Weren't you the one telling us all those years ago that violence is not the answer to all your problems?" Vaeri said with some mischief but worry all the same.

"For that, you're grounded, young lady," Alec smiled. "Tell your boyfriend the bad news because you're not going to be seeing him for the rest of your natural life."

Vaeri looked at Dayrl, "He's going to be fine."

"Stubborn kids," Alec groused to Tali.

"They know who they take after," she laughed.

"Is there any way I can shift the blame to you on this?"

"Not a chance, mister."

They shared a quiet chuckle as the shuttle started to ascend. From his position, Alec could see several helicopters land in front of the building, all over the runways as they left the Air Force base. There were several red and blue lights as police cars surrounded the area. None of them paid the alien craft any mind as it quickly gained altitude, passing the cloud cover where it could be finally alone. All too soon, the blue glow of Earth filled the cabin as the blackness of space overtook them. Tali looked at her husband and saw a faint smile on his lips.

"What are you smiling about?" she asked, unsure of what to feel.

"Just thought of the perfect expression for the occasion," Alec replied softly.

"And that is?"

Alec turned to face his wife, putting a hand to the side of her visor, gently brushing it, "_Keelah se'lai_."

* * *

The bar was empty at this time. It must have been a universal constant because no matter the species, no one visits a bar in the middle of the afternoon. But that's what the six of them were doing right now. They sat around a table as they sipped their drinks, relaxing after the hectic week.

Alec swept his gaze across the table. Wrex was busy chomping down food, following it up with swigs of ryncol. Liara was sitting perfectly poised in her chair, holding her drink with elegance. Garrus looked bored as Kasumi was practically clutching his arm to the point where he was losing circulation, firing off question after question in her excitement. Next to him, Tali laughed at the poor turian's predicament and glanced up at the second floor. Dayrl and Vaeri were busy at the quasar machines, having been given money to spend. That and the Skyllian-Five tables would properly occupy them while the grown-ups were talking.

But not one of them had spoken since they had arrived at Flux. The music was quiet enough at this time for everyone to speak normally, yet, aside from Kasumi's badgering, not one of them had uttered so much as a word.

A clicking of heels caused Alec to tilt his head back and he straightened as he recognized who was approaching. "Councilor," Alec said, extending a hand.

"Captain Lee," the turian replied somberly, shaking the offered appendage. To the rest of the group he merely nodded and grabbed a chair from another table as he sat down with the group.

"How did the proceedings go on Earth?" Alec asked.

"Quite well," the councilor replied. "The representatives had heard about the…unfortunate trouble that had brewed in that original city last week. They were rather apologetic and amicable to whatever clauses we offered for their cooperation."

"'Original city?'" Tali asked.

"We were escorted to a town called London. It was a rather impressive place to hold a talk."

"So what happened?" Garrus leaned over the table."

The councilor spread his arms, "They agreed to one representative within the hour. The country designated the "United States of America" had abstained from the talks entirely. It seemed that they had been forced to recuse after their brash actions."

"Was there any word on that?" Alec arched an eyebrow.

"A military commander named Palmquist was imprisoned and is currently awaiting trial. They predict that he will get a life sentence for apparently breaking several laws including a conspiracy to seize power, a misallocation of resources, and a botched operation that put millions of lives in danger."

Alec nodded in satisfaction, "Good."

"I'm surprised, on Palaven he would have been publicly executed but your people are being extremely lenient in my eyes. I would be ashamed if I was involved with that government right about now. To be honest, that whole country is embarrassed at what happened. They're talking about proclaiming that day as a national tragedy, for their actions, not yours. Some members actually want to prosecute you specifically but everyone at this table and in that chamber knows that you are clear from any wrongdoing in our eyes."

"It's not like they have any jurisdiction on me, right?"

"Correct. Although it might be in your best interest if you stay away from Earth for a while, just until things cool down."

"But, humans in general," Liara piped up. "What will happen to them?"

"For deliberately attempting to attack our fleet, we initially decided to leave without acknowledging them at all. It was only by the insistence of your captain here that we give them yet another chance. With that being said, their representative will be relocated to the Citadel within six months; we will also begin providing humans with alternative means of propulsion technology so that they will be able to travel like we travel. This technology will be granted in staggered intervals for the purposes of controlling population growth."

"Sounds familiar," Wrex grumbled.

Ignoring him, the councilor continued, "I think we're taking a big risk here, if I'm being honest. Rest assured, we will be keeping a closer eye on them as they continue to grow but I don't want something like this spiraling out of control again. The next time, I may not be so lenient." The councilor stood to go but Alec turned to ask one last question.

"Councilor, about the spectre Arterius. What is his condition?"

"Spectre Saren Arterius is recovering from his shuttle accident. He cannot remember the events of most of the voyage but the doctors say that he will be mobile and back to normal within a month. I'm rather surprised that such a spectre would be so clumsy in this regard."

"Yeah, well," Alec scratched the back of his head. "Accidents happen."

The turian's mandibles clicked together, "Indeed. Hopefully this sort of thing doesn't become a habit, hmm?"

Alec could only nod as the turian stalked off, hiding a small smile behind his hand. _A shuttle crash...right. _

Now lacking a source of conversation again, the whole group resumed their silence as they went back to their drinks. Alec waved a hand for a refill as everyone was absorbed by the ambient noise, merely riding the waves as the sound coursed through, sublime in the motions.

* * *

The four of them were now walking towards the bay. Alec and Tali were holding hands as Dayrl and Vaeri loped ahead of them. They had said their goodbyes to the group on their way out, Wrex choosing to stay on the Citadel until night fell so that he could cause a good, old-fashioned barfight to relieve the stress he'd accumulated. Liara had departed for her apartment after giving everyone a hug and promised to call soon. Garrus, with a pained expression on his face, embraced both Alec and Tali like family and left with Kasumi, who was now living next to him at C-Sec until he could get her settled in to the routine of the station and maybe find her a real job. Something told Alec that his plan would go askew, based on Kasumi's suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows. He paid the move no mind as he promised to ask them all to stop by the house soon. It was always nice to spend a quiet evening with friends.

"Oh, Dayrl," Alec called.

"Yeah, dad?"

"I didn't want to call you out in front of everybody but you do know that your messages are still routed through my omni-tool, right?"

"Right?"

"So, when were you going to tell me that you had been accepted by the flight school?"

Tali halted, clearly thunderstruck at the news, "You got into the academy? That…that's wonderful!"

Dayrl had a confused expression as his mother swooped in to embrace him, "You…you're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad?" Alec laughed at the question. "You never mentioned that you even applied to be in the Fleet, but this is fantastic all the same!"

"I just thought…after all you guys have been through, that you wouldn't want me doing something that could get me hurt…"

"Son," Alec said gently. "As long as you're doing a job that you love, you can do anything you want. Besides, your mother and grandfather used to be in the Fleet, so there's a precedent. I have the utmost confidence in you. Although that explains how you managed to fly the shuttle so well…"

"I told you they'd take it well!" Vaeri laughed to her brother.

"Then you might like this, young lady," Tali now said to her.

"What? Did you automatically fill in an application for flight school for me too?"

"Nothing of the sort," Tali said. "But, your father and I were talking on the way back and we noticed how wonderfully behaved you kids were. You were so brave, so mature, and it really made us proud to see you out there."

"Thanks, mom," Vaeri said sheepishly.

"Therefore," Tali continued. "Your father and I have both agreed that you can take your Pilgrimage this year."

"_What_!" Vaeri shouted in jubilation. "You're serious?"

"Do you not think you're ready?" Alec teased. "Because if you don't then there's always next-"

"I've been waiting for this moment my whole life!" she squealed as she embraced her parents fiercely. "Thank you, thank you, _thank you_!"

* * *

Some time later, when everyone was good and settled, the airlock doors to a sharp, angular turian cruiser closed and the maneuvering jets propelled it away from the Citadel. Finding the proper clearance, the _Alamo_ gently eased its way around the station, basking in its presence one last time before the periwinkle nebula swallowed it up. Free of the rosy light, the ship propelled itself towards the straight, pulsing mass relay at the edge of the system. A spark jumped between the energy core and the craft, sending the family on course to Rannoch, to the place they called home.

It was the only home that Alec Lee ever wished to know.


	15. Epilogue: Third Stage

The morning sun streamed in through the windows of the house, illuminating the room as the day brightened, beckoning. The day was clear, perfect temperature, as the roar from the ocean could be heard as the tide was coming in. The familiar purple and orange hues of the sky were starting to lighten as the Rannoch sun was ascending, casting everything in sight in its luscious glow.

Bathed in warmth, the light fell across the smooth curves of a grey back as it lay next to a lighter shade of skin, both on a bed. Both figures were nude as Tali was lying atop Alec, locked together with their arms, lips connected as their breathing quickened. Both of their eyes were closed as they passionately continued to kiss, with each parting they took just enough time to inhale slightly before rejoining once again as they felt their soft, sensitive, surfaces.

Tali's tongue darted out, flicking across his teeth as their mouths slightly parted. He reciprocated the movement, her tongue immediately meeting his in the middle as they rolled over one another. His hands were slowly moving around her back, gently rubbing, relaxing her muscles as they kissed. Her breasts were pressed up against his body, he enjoyed the feel of their firmness against him. She started to pull her head away but she had caught his lower lip in a kiss as she gently tugged it. She grinned at his expression and opened her mouth again as his head followed her movements, tasting her partner as she probed into his mouth.

He turned to the side, taking her with him as his right hand began tracing down her body. He started under her arm, moved to her angular hip, then down to her thighs and calves as she jerked at the ticking sensations. He moved his hand to the other leg, briefly touching the faint scar tissue as he was reminded of the horror he'd felt that fateful day. He silently vowed that it would never happen again.

Frowning, she removed her hand from his chest as she played with his skin and she took the hand that was stroking her leg in a three-fingered grip and gently brought it back up to her chest, placing it on her breast. Alec squeezed the soft flesh as she quietly moaned, flicking a thumb across a nipple. The hand, unable to sit still in one place, was on the move again as it dipped to her navel, fingers slightly tickling her stomach as it jerked in response. Alec could only grin as he brought his hand lower until he found the spot between her legs.

He carefully brushed his fingertips on her, causing her to shudder and burrow her head into his neck. With his other hand, he lifted it up so that it was supporting the back of her head, pushing it towards his face so that they could rejoin for another kiss. Midway through their locking of the lips, he took his right hand and gently pushed two fingers inside her.

Tali softly cried out, she was so sensitive. She was in no pain though as she rubbed Alec's cheeks with her hands as he continued to move his fingers. His thumb kneaded at her, making her entire body tingle with something beyond pleasure entirely. Her tongue was flickering out and he brought his head down, catching it on the fly and sucking on it as she mumbled in a wave of desire. He continued to slide his fingers in and out, her body constricting around them. He suddenly stopped kissing her as he wanted to focus all of his concentration on one thing at a time.

Alec's fingers were now going faster as he continued to rub at her. Her hips were grinding to the rhythm as she was getting into it. Tali mewled as he pushed deeper inside her, nerves flaring as the electric sensations went everywhere.

"Don't stop," she moaned. "Oh _please_, don't stop…don't stop…"

In no position to displease her, Alec kept going, feeling her squirming body press against his hand. Her arms were wrapped around his neck as she writhed in passion, a hand ruffling his hair, her eyes tightly closed as her labored breathing intensified. Soon, clutching the quarian's head tightly to his chest, he could feel her gasp and sigh as her body released, warmth spreading through every orifice.

Alec kissed the top of her head, cradling the top of her body as he waited for her throes to subside. He absentmindedly ran a hand over her breast again, gently playing with it as she was brought back down to the earth.

She turned over, smiling, as she lifted a leg across his body. She was straddling him now as she bent down, grabbing his head, as she furiously connected their mouths together. The kiss was not out of kindness or ceremony, it was out of direct _need_, it was an absolute mandatory as they made love. Tali's every fiber of her being was physically dependent on her kissing him, it was just as necessary as food and water.

Unable to hold herself back any longer, she lifted her body up and positioned herself just right. Tali looked at Alec and he nodded his encouragement. Giddy with anticipation, she lowered herself onto him so that they were physically joined once again. Her movements slow and deliberate, she gently slid herself up and down as she sat atop him. Her mouth opened as the pressure spread throughout her, making her feel numb. Leaning forward, she continued to move her hips as she maintained her pace, in contrast to the previous night. Tilting her head down, her husband's head rose as he met her halfway, kissing her in his desire.

Alec started to move his body to her set pace, intensifying the exquisite motions as his entire body throbbed. He leaned back on the bed, feet intertwined, starting to get tangled in the sheets as both of their toes curled, touching one another during the encounter. As Tali's upper body rose in excitement, he started to kiss her neck, feeling the vibrations of her moans as he did so. Lifting his hands from her hips, he groped her breasts as he now gave them a firm squeeze.

He lifted his body up slightly, her hips still maintaining their pace, as he buried his face between her breasts. Tali cried out, silver hair flying every which way as she shook on top of him. He moved his mouth to the side to bring an erect nipple to his mouth. He gently ran his tongue from side to side across it, running his hands along her back in a motion of absolute comfort.

Still on top of him, Tali was now lowering herself even further onto him. He groaned as he was approaching his end, he suspected Tali was close as well. This was only confirmed when she started to increase her speed, timing it with her gasps as her slim body swayed in the air, breasts bouncing up and down. He threw out his hands to control them and awaited her final movements.

With one particular surge of energy, Tali bucked and screamed as she came, back arching as far as it could possible go, suddenly springing forward to rest her body against Alec, who hugged her as she lay atop him. Both human and quarian rolled to the side, kissing, both shuddering as their muscles occasionally spasmed.

Holding each other, they looked into the opposite's eyes. Tali's blue ones sparkling with infatuation and Alec's glinting with infinite calmness. They started stroking each other's faces, smiling as they gently played with the other's features. Tali's fingers started twirling Alec's brown (yet greying) hair while Alec ran his fingers through her silver hair. They leaned their foreheads against one another, noses nuzzling as their hands continued to explore the opposite's body. Tali's eyes closed in bliss, she wished she could stay in this position forever.

It was not to be as she felt Alec's head slowly withdraw from her grasp as he moved off the bed. She sat herself up, eyes pleading at him, trying to discern the cause of this interruption. Alec merely gave a sad smile as he walked over to the closet, throwing on a robe. Tali waited for him to rejoin her but he continued past the bed to the sliding door that led outside. He turned back to her and smiled again before turning outside. He had left the door open, as if was expecting her to do something. An invitation, perhaps?

Understanding, she stole across the room to Alec's dresser. She was unwilling to put on any of her clothes as they weren't comfortable. Opening a drawer and finding what she was looking for, she pilfered a set of his sweatpants and a zippered hooded sweatshirt. Despite the new range of clothes they had made for quarians to substitute for their suit life, the comfort factor had never really been addressed as functionality still took precedent. Humans, adaptable creatures that they were, had a niche for every lifestyle and it was here that she was immensely grateful. She slipped on the loose clothing, sighing as she felt like a warm blanket had wrapped around her. Barefoot, she padded over to the door and walked outside, following his path.

Outside the environmentally sealed bubble, she blinked as the full strength of the sun hit her in the face. She threw up a hand to ward off the rays as she blinked. It was always a treat when she walked across Rannoch without her suit. She could hear the birds singing in the air, the ocean pounding against the rocks below. She could reach out and touch the bushes that adorned the path she was walking, her bare feet kicking up small stones and dust. She inhaled through her nose, smelling the hint of a wildflower, the saltiness of the sea. It was all so amazing.

Stepping down a set of stones, she could see Alec down below. A bench had been erected at a perfect vantage point so that the occupant could look out over the whole bay. She slowly approached and sat down next to him. He had no reaction other than to lean back and smile at his wife.

Tali frowned, something was obviously bothering him, "Are…are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

Alec sighed as he reached out with an arm to grasp her waist, pulling them closer. At least he wasn't keeping himself physically distant, she thought.

"I've just been thinking," he mused.

"About what?"

"About the last few days. About how much I acted like a complete asshole."

"You were only stressed out," she protested. "Anyone would have reacted-"

"Like I did?" Alec finished. "No, they wouldn't have. All that happened down there was my fault. I wasn't thinking and everything got out of control. And every time I had a chance to stop it, I only made it worse."

"No, Alec. That is not true."

"Is it? I threatened my own planet because I was annoyed at the bickering of politicians. I was responsible for your injury, Tali. After that, we should have gone back to the Citadel. Instead I…I went back down there and killed my own people in a foolhardy quest for revenge. I killed a man I once called a _friend_, because I wasn't smart enough to know when I'd been beaten."

"You did it because you thought it was right…"

"No, Tali!" Alec sat up, agitated. "It wasn't right! It was completely selfish! I didn't even consider my actions when I went down there again. I got you all worried and you had to risk your lives for a second time while I fucked around. What if you got hurt that time? What then? Could you imagine how I'd feel if I had found out that happened?"

He was sounding close to tears as Tali kissed his cheek in assurance. He shook his head in defiance, furious.

"Twenty two years of marriage, Tali. Twenty two…and I haven't learned a thing."

"Stop, Alec," Tali now said as she firmly gripped his face. "Stop right there. I don't want to hear another destructive word out of your mouth, do you hear me?"

"You need to _know_," he whispered. "You deserve the right…"

"All I need to know is that you truly do love me. All I deserve is you to be here, with me. You've been all that and more, Alec Lee. Don't you ever try to convince me otherwise."

His head rose slightly as he sniffled, "You're too stubborn for your own good, Tali."

"Look who's talking. The same _bosh'tet_ who would tear down a city for me." She felt bad as he flinched in her arms, "Okay, bad example. But my point still stands, you've got that thick skin of yours that refuses to let anything past. That hard head of yours doesn't exactly help matters much. But, when all's said and done, you're exactly like me. No matter what anyone says, Alec, you're a living, breathing, emotional being, and I love you."

The hug that he wrapped her in was strong but gentle enough not to cause her pain. She smiled at the gesture and gently rocked his body back and forth. She felt a sudden dampness on her neck. Tilting her head back, she was startled to see that he was crying. He was weeping openly and she sat for a moment in shock before wrapping her arms around his head and patting it, trying to calm him down.

"I'm…really glad that…I met you…Tali," he managed between sobs. A tear now fell from her own cheek as she shared his sadness. He was breathing raggedly through his sorrow.

"I…love you…oh, god…I love you so much…" he managed jerkily.

That was all she could ever ask for as she held him on that bench, the warm sun overflowing them with heat as they smelled the spray of the ocean and listened to each other's breathing as they hugged fiercely.

Alec continued to weep, not bothering to lower his volume. All the pain and sorrow that he had accumulated had now come spilling out in a rush, the floodgates opened. Tali was only grateful that he had let himself free, not bothering to hide anything to her. In that one moment, their hearts connected.

"I'm...tired..." he mumbled. "God...I'm so tired..."

Enveloped in one another's arms, Alec and Tali both shed their tears as they comforted each other. No more words needed to be said between them. The two eventually rose half an hour later to walk back to the house, arms intertwined as they took their time, her head on his shoulder. A cup had been filled, a circuit complete, one tiny speck in the cosmic mass flickering. The branch had been diverted, the choice made. Nothing else would cause it to deviate ever again.

The universe had a way of balancing things out.

* * *

**For Her: Third Stage**

* * *

_**I believe that will be all, ladies and gentlemen.**_

_**Based on the material I've written, I'm surprised I got to write three installments of this series, let alone two. But, as I've mentioned before, I need to find a place to quit sooner or later. To me, three seems like the magic number to end on a high note. I honestly believe that I cannot write any more past this point without repeating myself. I fully realize that I have claimed to stop writing time after time again, but I really don't want to continue any more for fear that I will "jump the shark" with this series. (Despite a brief tease in the second to last chapter that may state otherwise).**_

_**However, do not think that this is the last time you will see Alec and Tali as I may choose to revisit portions of their story in the gaps that I've jumped during their years together. That's at least twenty years worth of material I can draw from, provided I don't contradict myself (or I can always stick to one-shots). Third Stage is the definitive end of the line for the For Her saga (now: trilogy) and nothing will be produced beyond that.**_

_**But...I do bring good news in the form that I'm currently planning a new story that will most likely begin production in the next month. I'll get more into it when I write the appendix but it should be worthwhile for any Mass Effect fan, just putting that out there.**_

_**If you want to enjoy a discussion that is well facilitated, these stories have been posted to the subreddit MassEffectFics under my username: RadProX. I'm always online and am willing to discuss aspects of my stories for those who are interested.**_

_**As always, drop a review on your favorite chapter and tell me what you liked and what I botched.**_

_**It was a privilege writing this and you have no idea how fun it was to see all your reactions, especially when some of you tried to guess the plot points ahead of me. You guys are the real heroes of this story and it is only because of you that I've kept writing and developing these characters. Don't just leave right away, for as an iconic man once said:**_

_**"I'll be back."**_

_**-Rob**_


	16. Afterword and Appendix

**Rob's Notes**:

_Third Stage_ was, despite its appearance, a happy accident. After completing the second installment, I realized that there was still some more potential to develop the story as I could see fit. Unfortunately, all I had in the beginning was a couple of random setpieces that were disjointed and random in my head. But, after a week of finagling with the story, I finally cracked it and set to work with it in mind.

Throughout the series, I did enjoy the change of tone as the characters were developed throughout. You can tell that the first installment had an "alien encounter" vibe while the second was more of a space opera. This one was comparable to a political thriller and it was fun to use my inspiration influence what I would write. Initially, I had several reservations writing this, but once the story got rolling I began to relax as many new plot points came to mind, some of them at the last minute. I had fun writing this as I hope you all did reading it.

**Prologue**:

To properly sell this story, I needed to put my cards out on the table immediately. I had to show the audience what exactly is going on otherwise they'd just get bored. There are noticeable shades of the movie _Contact_ in the first part while the second half was influenced by the video game _Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes_.

This was also a first for me in I introduced the villain right off the bat, even though it wasn't immediately apparent. It took some looking up of government and military terms to properly give this story an air of realism but I think I managed to pull it off.

**Chapter 1**:

After that interesting opening, the pacing in the story began to slow way the hell down. This was an unavoidable concept as I needed to properly develop the conflict and the characters in the story. I figured that a party scene would be light and atmospheric enough to do that. This also introduced the characters of Dayrl and Vaeri, Alec and Tali's children. They're the reason why I decided to set this story twenty-one years after the last installment. I don't like writing for little kids or moody hormone-crazed teenagers. I had to get to that point where they would not be annoying and tolerable as characters but I didn't end up developing them much. I just didn't find them interesting as characters but I couldn't just flat out ignore them in the story. I tried to put them in as many situations as possible so it wouldn't look like that they were just background noise…but it still didn't work, in my opinion. For that matter, I also believe that I didn't properly write satisfying enough arcs for Wrex and Liara in this story.

With a smaller tale such as this, I had to make a few sacrifices by cutting characters out. Wrex didn't contribute much and Liara was just bland. This is most likely from the fact that I wanted to focus on Alec, Tali, and Garrus first and foremost and they just got lost in the struggle. They served their purpose but I wholeheartedly agree that they were not fleshed out enough.

**Chapter 2**:

This was a very slow chapter. It might have been at this point when I was asking myself, "Why are you even writing this?" Even though it did serve a logical purpose, I had zero enthusiasm when writing it, just mindlessly typing away keys, desperate to bang it out before the end of the day. Many a chapter have suffered because of my laziness, it ain't pretty, let me say.

**Chapter 3**:

Still a bit on the slow side but I was gaining confidence as I managed to push the story along further. I can't imagine what I would have felt like if I had stuck to my original schedule which would have been two chapters longer. Those I either cut scenes out or combined them in the format you see now. But with this chapter I took the time to introduce Mordin (who would play a key role later) and Saren (who didn't really need to be here but I included him for form's sake). I still was frustrated at my lack of inspiration at this point but I continued to persevere, partly because I was receiving eager reviews at the time. Someone was enjoying it, at least…

**Chapter 4**:

By having the setting back on Earth, the entire story felt a little smaller than _Second Stage_ but at the same time it felt larger as well. Even though everyone was confined to one space, the stakes were a lot higher and there was more tension as a result. This also gave me the opportunity to draw parallels to the first installment, in spirit and not a direct rip-off.

The idea to have a minor character from that story return as the villain was a design choice in order to make him have a relationship to Alec, setting up a personal bond initially. I had mentioned before that I hated how I wrote my bad guys in the first two stories and I think that I finally nailed it this time. Both of them have a complex relationship, they're reminiscing about their past while simultaneously musing over the other's change. It went a little bit deeper than the average "imma kill you" baddie and this made for a stronger conflict.

**Chapter 5**:

We got back to the slow pacing again. Having Alec and Anthony hold a conversation was an interesting move as it would further set them up as adversaries, a bad guy who understands the hero completely. Even though at this point, I hadn't firmly established him as the villain yet, but there were some sinister moments to be had.

Also, I did make a point to introduce Kasumi in this story as she was one of my favorite characters in Mass Effect. My initial concept for her was to be a computer tech and that Alec would find her on his adventures and subsequently convince her to try stealing for a living. However, that arc sounded very stupid so I instead wrote her up to be an ex-con doing community service for her country, which is still a little far-fetched but leagues better than the alternative.

**Chapter 6**:

Now was the part where things started to heat up. Quite literally in some cases. The frustrating talking with the politicians was designed to be the catalyst for Alec's encounter with Tali later in the night. That was a hard scene to script as I realized that I couldn't make a love scene again without shaking up the formula a bit. So I wrote it with a bit more roughness and it served to symbolize Alec's state of mind at the time. So it became a functional scene necessary for character development, which means that it had more meaning than just your average run-of-the-mill porn piece.

I also used some military jargon to craft Anthony's reasoning for attacking Alec later on. This was a plot point that I had labored over because I didn't know how to properly approach it at first. I needed to sell to the audience a good reason for why the US would indiscriminately attack aliens when our natural reaction would be to appeal to their better nature. The idea for a rogue faction was approached and made for an interesting development, which would get explored later.

**Chapter 7**:

This chapter was only supposed to set up the stage for the next one, as evidenced by the descriptive language during the tour of the capital. I got the hard questions out of the way for explaining how Anthony would take over, why the group was suddenly in the middle of DC, and how Alec and Tali quickly patched things up. And then the bomb blew up.

**Chapter 8**:

This was originally supposed to be two chapters but I figured that I didn't need to drag the scene out any longer than it could possibly be. Writing the intense combat is always fun and it was made tenser by the fact that Alec was unarmored that he could possibly get hurt. But…an invincible protagonist does not make for a good story (see: Wolverine) and I wrote the part where a lot of people get maimed at the end so that people would sit up and go, "…..shit."

Tali's leg was done to shock the audience into thinking that "hey, this isn't a game." Despite the fact that it would be resolved a few chapters later, it would be crucial into propelling Alec over the edge into trying to kill Anthony. I had toyed with the idea of killing Tali off initially but I found that I couldn't bring myself to do such a thing as I believed that it would be too sad and would leave a bad taste in the reader's mouth. Despite my dark streak, I still have my limits.

Recommended Music:

Capital Fight: James Newton Howards "Fall of Freetown" from the film _Blood Diamond_

Missile: Hans Zimmer's "Inferno" from the film _Rush_

**Chapter 9:**

This was another transitional chapter as I explained the motives for the actions of various characters. There was nothing particularly of note here, just the resolving and formation of plot points that would come to be of use later. I was eager with anticipation to begin the next one after finishing this. The audience turned out to love it.

**Chapter 10:**

This whole chapter was one long battle scene that could be considered over-the-top for some people. Me, I tried to get the whole encounter done so that it was realistic (to an extent) and basically turned it into a fun little rampage.

Not content with her one scene thus far, I wrote in Kasumi to be a squadmate for part of the action and would develop her more as a character later on. And because I wanted to throw in a cameo or two, I

made sure to include Hannah Shepard in there (not fully mentioned but it should have been obvious to the reader) as a way to subtly introduce the idea that John Shepard is still in this universe, even though we never see him. This implies that he will get to participate in the main galactic conflict later (a story I have zero interest in writing, by the way) but the ramifications of Alec's actions are fun to mull over of what it would do to _that_ story.

Recommended Music:

Mall Run: Junkie XL's "Marathon" from the film _300: Rise of an Empire_

**Chapter 11:**

The bike chase was one of the first scenes I had in mind when writing _Third Stage_. I wanted to draw a parallel between the motorcycle scenes from the first story and use them in a different situation here. I think that it was a fun setpiece, one that I enjoyed writing.

Although, not content with Alec's ability to cheat death, the idea to seemingly kill him off came to me at the last minute so I added that for extra shock value. Initially, it would have been a more straightforward scene as Alec and Kasumi would have merely sauntered through the building but I needed more tension here. This would also ramp up the drama as the characters reacted to his "passing," which made writing them all the more interesting.

Recommended Music:

Loyalty (Tali's Theme): Hans Zimmer's "Lost but Won" from the film _Rush_

**Chapter 12:**

What I always wanted to do was have a fight on a moving platform. A train car seemed like a place to start. I also wanted the fight to have more than one stage so that people would get a chance to breathe the action. It was quite different from any fight scene I wrote and was very powerful as I detailed the feelings Alec was going through as he was slowly killing his friend. I also made sure to finally overpower him with the consequences of his actions after the fact. Whereas the ME series had indoctrination, I wrote Alec to go into shock, a natural response as he is not abnormal.

I loved the interaction this caused as Tali tried to get him to speak but he was just too shell-shocked to even utter a word. This also brings up another point, it shows that Alec is not infallible, that he's just a regular guy underneath. The problem that I had with Second Stage was that I didn't think Alec was that interesting of a character as I didn't write many flaws for him. In this story, he's selfish, he's impulsive, and he's angry but all of that catches up to him in the end as he finally realizes the ramifications of his actions. It truly made him seem like a three-dimensional character as he went through a crisis of deciding where he truly belonged.

Recommended Music:

Human Alien (Alec's Theme): Akihirio Honda's "Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker" from the video game _Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker_

Vs. Anthony: Hans Zimmer's "I'm Goblin" from the film _The Amazing Spider-Man 2_

Stranglehold: David Buckley's "Space Suicide" from the video game _Call of Duty: Ghosts_

**Chapter 13: **

The chapter opened with a brief explanation on how Saren would come to get a replacement arm as detailed in ME1. Of course this wasn't canon but it was something I wanted to acknowledge.

The brief cameo of Jack Harper (Illusive Man) was probably not necessary but I put him in just to acknowledge the fact that, "Oh look guys, here he is!" Like I said, not necessary but I had a little fun with the idea, even if I don't plan to go anywhere with it.

I also explored Alec's renegade side a little bit more before bringing him to make the right decision in the end. This is keeping up with the theme that the hero finds himself in a dark place before the end, but it makes his character all the more compelling and realistic.

**Epilogue**:

Crafting another love scene wasn't on the original agenda. It literally came to me the day before I wrote it and I thought, "Yeah…that makes sense." It turned out to be a proper bookend scene as their love for each other was well represented through their tender actions (still adhering to my rules on how to write the damn scenes, by the way!) It extended the chapter out nicely, which would have been a lot shorter had I not included it. But I did appreciate the bittersweet ending and I think that to continue Alec and Tali's story would be a disservice to the characters, seeing how far they have come. It was an appropriate end and a fitting retirement for my original character.

Recommended Music:

On Rannoch: Kazuma Jinnouchi's "Zero Allies!" from the video game _Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker_

Bonus closer (inspired by YTs PhunnyNeon and Revolution72): "Stars Come Out" by Zedd

**Closing Notes**:

I did say before that this wasn't necessarily the end for Alec and Tali, just as far as the story will take them. I might be compelled later on to write a few more tales but I'm sticking to my gut feeling and leaving off where I stopped. It isn't a priority now to write more of them as I have bigger ideas on my plate. If you were to ask me where I imagined Alec and Tali in thirty years, then I'd would say that they lived the rest of their natural lives on Rannoch, taking the occasional time to explore the galaxy in the _Alamo_, seeing new worlds, experiencing different cultures, both of them standing by the other until the end. It's the type of footnote that needs little to no explanation, only that they remain happy together, which is what ultimately matters.

But, here comes the more interesting news. Now that I have completed this series, I feel that it's time for me to move onto something a little different. I enjoyed crafting a subtly different world in the Mass Effect universe for three stories, trying very hard to adhere to the lore and characters, even if everything was all jumbled around. With that being said, I am now planning to write a story that will take place within the timeline of the Mass Effect games, featuring Shepard as the main character.

Before you jump off the horse just yet, this will not be just some retelling of a random assignment that has little to no weight in the grand scheme of things. Actually, something different. I plan on writing my own headcanon on the ending to Mass Effect 3, taking into account my own perceptions and altering the story based on how I think it should have ended. I will be incorporating a few different elements and twists into the event and will begin production sometime in the next few weeks. Writing the For Her trilogy has given me the type of experience and practice that I think I can pull it off while delivering a satisfying climax that fans of Mass Effect can rally behind. I expect it will be a bit shorter than everything I've written so far (as I'm only going to be focusing on a few scenes depicted in the game) but I don't intend to skimp on detail (and yes, it will be a Tali romance, for those who were wondering).

Be sure to keep an eye out for when I finally decide on a title. Thank you all for sticking with me until the end of this saga. I'm sure that I will be seeing you quite soon!

_Keelah se'lai_.

-Rob Sears


End file.
